Training Log Archive: KFishIn the 1 days ending Sep 2, 2017:
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| « | » |
| » now | ||||
| |||||||
| Sa |
Saturday Sep 2, 2017 #
Event: NYARA The Longest Day
8 AM
Adventure Racing 22:50:28 *** 93.7 mi (14:38 / mi) +3222m 13:13 / mi
29c
Qstarz with 5 second interval
Prologue Trek: 2.4 mi (not shown in track), 3 c, 40 min
Took off the opposite way of most people, which we were happy about. Turned off at a stream while a couple other teams kept going, and felt like we went too far down it, so we turned around second guessing. Turns out it was the right stream and just needed to go slightly farther. By the time we punched it several other teams were wandering in the general area, but I dont think any realized we had punched it. Next was up a big hill, where UNE passed us after overshooting the first point. Then back past the start to the 3rd CP where people that had headed that way at the start were still wandering aimlessly. Syds nav game was on and we picked the right reentrant, although still felt like we had to travel farther up it. UNE again passed us after overshooting it.
Canoe 1: 4.4 mi, 1 c, 1:50
Put in right behind UNE, but they quickly gained distance over us. We had a tail win, so I opted towards the center of the lake, but ultimately the choppiness may have slowed us down, not sure of the best paddling strategy (they also had 3 rowers). Found our point without too much trouble, and then the CP. Took out still in second place.
Trek 2: 5.7 mi, 1 c, 1:50
Flat wide trail back S along the lake, and then a turn E over the hill and down to the next lake. We jogged the flat but then walked up and over. Several teams passed us on the trek, something we are not used to happening! Spent a few minutes too long looking for the 1 cp not far enough up the reentrant. Also took a quick stop to remove ankle tape that was crushing my foot and causing me undo pain.
Canoe 2: 3 mi, 2 c, 0:50
South down Canadice lake. Smaller lake so not too windy. Found both CPs without any problems, and kept pace with the teams around us.
Bike 1: 65 mi, 17c, 12:28
The first 5 miles straight up hill was foreshadowing for the rest of this bike. After the initial up hill there was bike O for 6 points, which we took slow and steady with good attacks and it went pretty well. I started feeling not the greatest, but I was able to eat and perk back up a bit. 1 team passed us during this. Then it was about 50 miles through windmill country. I did OK for the first couple hours while it was light out, but still had to push my bike up several hills. Since I got the derrailuer replaced it hasnt been shifting well, and this just got worst with the hills and getting in my head. We hit a fairly flat section that perked me up a little, along with a quick stop for water and chips at a dollar general. But then the sun set and it got hilly again and I just totally fell apart. I was ridicolously sleepy tired, and was having trouble keeping my eyes open, which made some down hills rather harrowing. I asked sydney for some breathers/naps at several cps and other locations along the bike, which she allowed at first, but eventually (understandably) started getting very frusterated about. I had a few mental breakdowns, but she was always there coaxing me through it, explaining the next section was almost finished, I could bike through this etc. I dont know how she got me through that bike, but she did.
I think my struggles came down to three things: actually being quite tired from a short night sleep and a full work week, feeling weird -> not eating enough -> feeling worse -> eating less -> feeling worse and having no energy, and letting my bike and the hills get in my head. the last 2 are things I have learned in the past and I just need to get over them! So frusterating
Trek 3: 9.6 mi, 2 c, 5:05
Once we finally got to the TA it was raining and I was exhausted. We beat the short course time, meaning we were "allowed" to go out on the full o course, if we left in 20 min. That was going to happen. I crawled in the back of bike moving truck, drank a cup of hot chocolate and changed, and promptly fell asleep for a good 30-40 minutes while sydney got our lights switched out and our gear ready. When I woke up she was finally able to get me to eat some food, I had another cup of hot chocolate, and we discussed our options. We decided on a mostly road route back to the finish with 2 potential cps depending on how we were feeling, so we started off. I was still quite tired, but being on foot was much better than bike had been. We made the detour for the first point and took another brief nap in a small clearing. We were lucky to find it without trouble, as it sounded like some times never found it. After that it was continuing up hill to the finish with one more potential cp. Unfortanately when we got to our attack it was a private road, which meant in order to go around to get it we had to walk right by the finish. Syd convinced me we had to since we still had 2 hours to spare. At this point I was perked up and she was talking without knowing what she was saying, but i agreed and naved us to it, and then a short trek to the finish.
We got enough points fast enough to end in 6th/22 (18 finishers), but an un clear rule apparently meant that "in order" points counted before "out of order' points, which dropped us back to 8th. Still, considering our (mostly MY) struggles I am pretty impressed with this placing. It also sounded like the 2 trekking sections we missed a lot of people really struggled with (not sure if it was hard nav, map problems, both?) so skipping them was a bit of a blessing in disguise.
This race was a wake up call as far as fitness and racing with a real job, and I will need to approach both differently now. I think its doable, just needs more planning. Overall the race itself was good, although the communication could have been better throughout the entire process (before race communications, rules seemed to change on the fly). It was cool to be in terrain just a few miles from where I grew up.
Notes: forecast of 50s and rain gets very cold at night after a full day of racing. Rain coat and light long sleeve were not enough on bike. Rain coat and pants, and heavy long sleeve were just enough on foot.
Prologue Trek: 2.4 mi (not shown in track), 3 c, 40 min
Took off the opposite way of most people, which we were happy about. Turned off at a stream while a couple other teams kept going, and felt like we went too far down it, so we turned around second guessing. Turns out it was the right stream and just needed to go slightly farther. By the time we punched it several other teams were wandering in the general area, but I dont think any realized we had punched it. Next was up a big hill, where UNE passed us after overshooting the first point. Then back past the start to the 3rd CP where people that had headed that way at the start were still wandering aimlessly. Syds nav game was on and we picked the right reentrant, although still felt like we had to travel farther up it. UNE again passed us after overshooting it.
Canoe 1: 4.4 mi, 1 c, 1:50
Put in right behind UNE, but they quickly gained distance over us. We had a tail win, so I opted towards the center of the lake, but ultimately the choppiness may have slowed us down, not sure of the best paddling strategy (they also had 3 rowers). Found our point without too much trouble, and then the CP. Took out still in second place.
Trek 2: 5.7 mi, 1 c, 1:50
Flat wide trail back S along the lake, and then a turn E over the hill and down to the next lake. We jogged the flat but then walked up and over. Several teams passed us on the trek, something we are not used to happening! Spent a few minutes too long looking for the 1 cp not far enough up the reentrant. Also took a quick stop to remove ankle tape that was crushing my foot and causing me undo pain.
Canoe 2: 3 mi, 2 c, 0:50
South down Canadice lake. Smaller lake so not too windy. Found both CPs without any problems, and kept pace with the teams around us.
Bike 1: 65 mi, 17c, 12:28
The first 5 miles straight up hill was foreshadowing for the rest of this bike. After the initial up hill there was bike O for 6 points, which we took slow and steady with good attacks and it went pretty well. I started feeling not the greatest, but I was able to eat and perk back up a bit. 1 team passed us during this. Then it was about 50 miles through windmill country. I did OK for the first couple hours while it was light out, but still had to push my bike up several hills. Since I got the derrailuer replaced it hasnt been shifting well, and this just got worst with the hills and getting in my head. We hit a fairly flat section that perked me up a little, along with a quick stop for water and chips at a dollar general. But then the sun set and it got hilly again and I just totally fell apart. I was ridicolously sleepy tired, and was having trouble keeping my eyes open, which made some down hills rather harrowing. I asked sydney for some breathers/naps at several cps and other locations along the bike, which she allowed at first, but eventually (understandably) started getting very frusterated about. I had a few mental breakdowns, but she was always there coaxing me through it, explaining the next section was almost finished, I could bike through this etc. I dont know how she got me through that bike, but she did.
I think my struggles came down to three things: actually being quite tired from a short night sleep and a full work week, feeling weird -> not eating enough -> feeling worse -> eating less -> feeling worse and having no energy, and letting my bike and the hills get in my head. the last 2 are things I have learned in the past and I just need to get over them! So frusterating
Trek 3: 9.6 mi, 2 c, 5:05
Once we finally got to the TA it was raining and I was exhausted. We beat the short course time, meaning we were "allowed" to go out on the full o course, if we left in 20 min. That was going to happen. I crawled in the back of bike moving truck, drank a cup of hot chocolate and changed, and promptly fell asleep for a good 30-40 minutes while sydney got our lights switched out and our gear ready. When I woke up she was finally able to get me to eat some food, I had another cup of hot chocolate, and we discussed our options. We decided on a mostly road route back to the finish with 2 potential cps depending on how we were feeling, so we started off. I was still quite tired, but being on foot was much better than bike had been. We made the detour for the first point and took another brief nap in a small clearing. We were lucky to find it without trouble, as it sounded like some times never found it. After that it was continuing up hill to the finish with one more potential cp. Unfortanately when we got to our attack it was a private road, which meant in order to go around to get it we had to walk right by the finish. Syd convinced me we had to since we still had 2 hours to spare. At this point I was perked up and she was talking without knowing what she was saying, but i agreed and naved us to it, and then a short trek to the finish.
We got enough points fast enough to end in 6th/22 (18 finishers), but an un clear rule apparently meant that "in order" points counted before "out of order' points, which dropped us back to 8th. Still, considering our (mostly MY) struggles I am pretty impressed with this placing. It also sounded like the 2 trekking sections we missed a lot of people really struggled with (not sure if it was hard nav, map problems, both?) so skipping them was a bit of a blessing in disguise.
This race was a wake up call as far as fitness and racing with a real job, and I will need to approach both differently now. I think its doable, just needs more planning. Overall the race itself was good, although the communication could have been better throughout the entire process (before race communications, rules seemed to change on the fly). It was cool to be in terrain just a few miles from where I grew up.
Notes: forecast of 50s and rain gets very cold at night after a full day of racing. Rain coat and light long sleeve were not enough on bike. Rain coat and pants, and heavy long sleeve were just enough on foot.