Discussion: Oh the brutality!

Well that was fun. I thought maybe things would improve when we got to the north side of the hill but they never did. The blackberries have overtaken the entire map.

Somewhere between the finish and the car I was thinking that it would be nice to just curl up on the road and go to sleep. Made myself keep moving but I was definitely starting to lose it.

Wow! Look at all the fun I missed! Well, maybe in a couple of months.

Best part was getting some QT w my bro.

My hands were so cold I couldn't hold my compass on the map with one hand - I had to use 2 hands! The rain did a real number in this kind of cold weather. I wonder if they have a "water chill" index. The wet cloths were doing a number on us. Usually if it is a race you are able to generate enough heat to not have this affect you. I guess since I was out for 2 hours I got done in!

Yep, the time was the factor, and you just couldn't (or I couldn't) go fast enough to generate enough heat to offset the massive calorie loss from the dumping icy rain ... I got warm about 15 into the race, then at about 1 hour I started to cool off again. The offset from the finish to the car (I ended up running as hard as I could!) was eternal.

Oh, and my map had enough blackberry punctures that I was having a pretty hard time seeing 10 and 11! That's what happened! ;)

We are weirdos, for sure. :)

My map was starting to dissolve. It was a race between the disappearing ink and each control.

Does anyone have a solution for preventing Briar punctures in the thighs? The gaiters or shin guards that I bought work well for the shins - no cuts or punctures. I need upper leg protection. Has anyone tried the Treklite® ThornKnickers? (http://www.treklite.com/products/o-stuf/knickers.h...) Ann maybe this would be a good article for the "Briar" Patch - protection from thorns.

I was just about to post a note reading "I wish they made gaiters for thighs!!" My thighs look scary this morning.

I was thinking if you had a sewing machine you could get a piece of flexible plastic and sew a patch over it. (e.g. make 3 layers. 1) trouser 2) mylar film used to make transparencies or overhead slides 3) fabric) but maybe for $45 the treklite knickers would be more convenient.

A few (many) years ago, Bernie Breton went into one of the HVO courses with duct tape wrapped all the way around both legs. There was a great picture floating around at the time and he took a lot of grief but he emerged with no scratches on his legs.

I am going to start carrying a roll of duct tape! even the clear mailing tape would work if you wrap it on itself.

Sounds like a good application for Kevlar(r). Or maybe the club should just invest in a large stockpile of Agent Orange.

We need to find some animal that eats briars - likely from another planet - and turn them loose.

Goats.

Surely there is a budget for a herd of goats! We can fatten them up on Briars and then sell them for a profit! Or lets use Hertz Rent a Herd!

From this article on Using Goats for Vegetation Management:
"My family has a goatherd. I remember the day we first turned 200 goats out into a 30-acre "pasture" that was 25 percent impenetrable because of thick scrub oak and briars. The remaining 75 percent was overgrazed and had an alarming amount of weeds (forbs). The goats hit that wall of brush at a dead run and stripped every leaf off of every stem and branch. It amazed me. We had estimated that it would take three months for the herd to eat all of the brush, briars, and weeds. Six weeks later, those 30 acres looked like a golf course with a few sticks where the short brush used to be, and not a weed in sight."

I guess the problem there is that the goats would eat desirable plants too...and then there would be no vegetation left at all.

I seem to remember that the north side of Williams Hill was covered in blueberry shrubs not all that long ago. What the heck happened to them - I didn't notice any yesterday. I would much rather run through those than the darned blackberry.

We definitely need to get on that goat thing!! Brilliant.

ThornKnickers are better than regular o-pants, but not by much. You really need these for FCW:



I was particularly bummed to have just watched and lusted after (and keep dreaming of moving to) the luscious terrain in the Hubmann Bros. "Go Hard Or Go Home" video. Sigh. I think I'll watch it again: