Backing it up with an Adventure Race

So after my huge day riding with Coach, Roberto and the AP.10 crew, I backed it up with an Adventure Race. It was decided a while back that my husband and buddy and another were going to do the race but at the last minute it was down to two and well....I got the call.

So another early morning and we were off driving to Windsor in NSW. We dropped off the bikes and went to register. About 25 teams and 13 in the mixed teams. We later learnt that only 7 mixed teams competed on the day.

It is most important during these events to look like a team....

Me, Mel and Gazza

1st leg was a run and so we headed off towards our pre-plotted course and the field scattered.We trotted along comfortably ever aware of my cranky ITB and found our first checkpoint fairly easily. We continued on finding each number in turn and then......we got lost! Well not really lost but we went into the bush too soon and hunted for a checkpoint that was actually about 500metres off to our right. We wasted time here but hey we had all day.

Finally ticking off all of the run checks we headed out on the bikes. OMG - I would rather take on round-a-abouts, hills and cars than ride with a tree and rocks and branches and mud holes everywhere. I think I held up the team as I screamed and 'oh shit' my way round the course. With Gazza on compass we navigated our way round slooooooowly.



Me and my bike 'Muddy B'

Finally made it to the kayak leg after totally losing track of time and any sign of our competitors. Three up on a kayak is a load of fun and throw in some mud. Lashings of mud and you are in for a great ride.

 

Pretty as a picture and in total unison

 

We ticked off all three checkpoints out on the river and headed back to the bank. Dragging ourselves up out of the mud proved tricky and Mel and Gaz ended up stuck and sitting in the mud while I managed to get out of it with out a drop of mud anywhere.

WTF - very appropriate here

Ok, so we knew we were dragging the chain, so we opted not to complete the next run leg. Our plan was to have fun and that was exactly what we were having and no one wanted the Westpac helicopter and the dogs out searching for us. So back on the bikes and heading for home. But wait! There's more....... A creek crossing.

Gazza entered the water first, held onto the rope, hiked his bike over his head and waded through. He got to the other side and dragged out the camera as Mel and I headed into the water. It just kept getting deeper. The bottom was thick oozing mud and at one point I was up to my pits and hanging on to the rope with all my might.

Mel exists as I sink deeper and deeper

What a struggle but what a laugh. I had a great time. Its not very often adults give themselves permission to get down and dirty and muddy. So I lapped it up.

Onward and ok, another hurdle. Gazza's bike gets a puncture..... 2kms short of the finish line and we are rapidly running out of time for the cut off.

Gaz with his puncture and Mel finding another checkpoint

With Gaz running beside his bike and us girls riding up huge hills we finally make the finish line....

It was an amazing day. One I didn't expect to be as crazy and as long as it was. ok so 8 teams went into the woods. The first team completed in 3:45:00 and we may have done it in 8 hours. But boy we made it look good.