Adventure Junkie Sprint Series April 2015
Sprint Series Adventure Race
The Sprint Series event
caters to all fitness levels and to people of all ages. Each event consists of
running, kayaking and mountain biking stages. The race is navigation based and
participants race as a team of two. Kayaking stages are held on flat water of
Lysterfield lake. Running stages are held along roads, paths and off-road. Mountain
biking sections consist of minor bitumen sections, 4wd trails and single track
parts. The overall duration of the course is approximately 3.5 hours for
midpack - there is an advanced leg to further challenge those super-fast teams,
and if slower teams prefer to take their time and soak up the experience we may
sometimes (although unlikely) suggest that you skip some sections. Each leg has
control points. Instructions could comprise a map, a marked course, or some
photos, or whatever! So prepare yourself for the unexpected! This is not a
relay - both team mates have to stay together for the entire event and find all
checkpoints together- yes, this is an additional challenge.
Pre-race - This
race was definitely not planned! Brad (www.360wellness.com.au)
offered to sponsor the event and was given a free entry. Due to the event being
teams only, Brad nominated me as his team member (even though he knew I would
be a complete hack on the bike!) Strangely, I was excited. I only had a week to
think about it, I didn’t train for it and there was no pressure. Usually I
would be petrified about mountain biking but I knew Brad would help me and more
importantly, not react if I took the best part of the day to finish the ride.
The day before the event, we packed my Kathmandu pack with water, gels and
lollies, Runners Kitchen amazeballs, a small first aid kit, waterproof jackets
and a mobile phone. They were all part of the mandatory items. On the website
they recommended a compass and map board for the bike (which we didn’t have).
Race day –
We left the house early to drive to Lysterfield
Lake, somewhere I’d heard about however I’d never run there. The weather was
cold and wet but I had faith the rain would settle down (and it did). We
arrived early and Brad set up some 360wellness flyers and chatted to the race
organisers.
“Adventure Junkie was started by two Russian adventure racers after
they permanently moved to Melbourne. Maria and Serge have been adventure
racing throughout the World for much of the last 6 years, competing
in short sprints as well as monster expedition-length events lasting
several days. They also compete in other sports including road marathons
and triathlons. But their sporting background is cross-country skiing, where
each of them have over 20 years experience.”
We were given the maps to decipher and this is when
I started freaking out! My sense of direction is not good. I can drive or run
somewhere countless times and still manage to get lost. So far, I couldn’t ride
a bike, I’d never properly kayaked and I couldn’t navigate. I was beginning to
wonder why Brad asked me to join his team (and I felt sorry for him). We sat in
the car and tried to read the maps. Neither of us felt very comfortable about
the challenge ahead but our spirits were high and we knew we could only do our
best. I recognised Richelle from Ultra Life (www.theultralife.com.au) and we had a
pre-race chat and giggle about how entertaining the next few hours might be!
Serge gave his pre-race briefing and did his best
to explain how the day should progress. There were 53 teams in the event,
ranging from highly experienced to inexperienced (like us). We decided to start
at the back of the pack and go straight up the hill in front of us. The start
was captured on video, it was very funny to see people run off in random
directions. Everyone had to decide on their own plan of attack and order of
reaching the checkpoints.
First leg – RUN –
I wore my Garmin therefore I can give breakdowns of
each section. The first run leg was 6.4km with 200m elevation. This would vary
for others because we were in charge of our own navigation (and we took a
couple of wrong turns). At this point the map reading slowed us down. And we
soon realised not to follow the person in front of us (blind leading the blind)!
It was very entertaining! I handled the uphills well and running felt good. At
one stage we stopped to help a fellow participant because she was suffering
with ITB pain. She couldn’t walk. Brad helped her and she managed to walk again,
but I’m unsure where she finished in the race. We continued on and reached a
reasonable pace of about 12km/hr… that was uphill (I’m not great running
downhill on trails). The scenery was beautiful, green and bushy with snippets
of Australian wildlife. I wasn’t concerned about snakes because the weather was
cold. Brad read the map and I led the way most of the run leg, and together we made
it back to our bikes. It took us just over 50 minutes.
Second leg – RIDE –
Once I managed to put on my padded shorts (my bits
were not used to being on a bike seat), my gloves, my helmet and actually get
on my bike, we could begin the scariest section of the course (for me). The
bike leg! Help! The bike leg was 10km and about 210m elevation. We averaged
6:30min/km. (Yes that’s correct, slower than the run!) It’s funny to see my
splits on Garmin because the uphills and flats were a significantly quicker
than the downhills (more so than the run). On the downhill, I would literally
stop peddling and hang on for my life. By the end of the ride my shoulders and
hands hurt. But I had fun! I would like to say that stopping to read the map
slowed us down, but truthfully I’m just a hack! I have a hybrid bike with the
wrong tires and I’m scared to ride downhill on loose bitumen. It rained at
points but that didn’t really bother me. (I could be wrong but the rain seemed
to compact the bike paths, which made me feel safer?) There were also sections
of this leg where we had to dismount our bikes and trek to the next checkpoint.
At one stage, we walked through the forest and crossed a ditch (with a stream
below) and climbed over to the other side. Obviously this adds time. Once
again, we saw kangaroos and abundant plant life. Towards the end of the bike
leg we struggled to find the last checkpoint. We took at least an extra
10minutes riding through a car park wondering where the other participants were
hiding. Finally we stumbled across people and kayaks! We finished our 10km bike
ride in 1hr 20minutes.
Third leg – KAYAK –
The kayak was just under 3km and took approximately
30minutes (I forgot to stop my Garmin therefore records are inaccurate). We
decided to take our shoes and socks off to protect our feet from becoming too
soaked. We put our vest on, grabbed our map (we were still required to find
checkpoints) and headed out onto the water. Kayaking is relatively easy. I’m
sure my technique is horrible but I still manage to get from one point to the
next. After the first checkpoint the rain started and before long, I could no
longer feel my toes. It was bitterly cold, but I had to ignore the wind and
rain, and focus on left-right-left-right… Just keep going! When we finished the
kayak leg, we had to put our socks and shoes back on… this is when the real
challenge began! I had no feeling in my fingers or toes and I was wearing
Injinji compression socks! They are difficult to put on at the best of times
but with gimpy hands, they were impossible. Brad had to dress me as time ticked
away and other participants continued on. We decided to delay our transition
even further by having a drink and snack. After all, we had been exercising
(and transitioning) for about 3 hours (and covered nearly 20km). I enjoyed
kayaking however I would have loved it on a warm, sunny day!
Fourth
leg – RUN –
The second run leg was 3.5km and with minimal
elevation. It was raining and difficult to navigate because the pack had
dwindled and basically, there was nobody left to follow! We ran across a bridge
and into the bushes to find a checkpoint but realised we were on the wrong side
of the water, so we had to double back. Then we ran past the kayaks and back
through the car park from the bike leg. We ran down a random section of the
forest and discovered the final checkpoint for the second run leg. This section
of the event was not scenic, it was raining and we were a little tired. We
averaged 7min/km pace and finished in just under 30minutes. BUT we were
honestly still in good spirits. I was thankful to be spending quality time with
Brad; I have always enjoyed running and cycling with him.
Fifth
leg – RIDE –
Back to my favourite discipline… BIKE! This time I
already had my comfy bike shorts on (to protect my bits) and I was ready for home.
It was 5-6km to the finish line although the course was single track and navigation
seemed more challenging. We only managed 5:30min/km over 150m elevation. It
took 35minutes to ride less than 6km (Yes I’m lightning fast!) There were times
when I dismounted the bike and walked. Brad showed patience and understanding!
I did my best especially through the last few kilometres where the track was
windy and the novelty was beginning to fade. The scenery was pretty and
captivating; we even saw a koala in a tree. (It was a stuffed toy haha!) The
last turn we came out into the open and saw the finish line. We cruised
downhill and crossed the line in over 4 hours (28km total). Someone informed us
later that we placed 40th out of 53 teams.
Post-race – The
race organisers, Serge and Maria were wonderful. They attempted to check in
with everyone who crossed the line and welcomed feedback. They provided
everyone with healthy food choices; rolls, salads, fruit and meat (for the
carnivores!) The atmosphere was friendly and relaxed. We were one of the last
teams to finish therefore presentations soon followed. They gave the
place-getters some impressive bling and the spot prizes were endless. Everyone seemed
happy.
I loved the event because it was something completely
different. I have endurance fitness and could handle 4 hours but clearly my
bike skills need work. Overall I would highly recommend this event to anyone
who enjoys adventure races. It was fun, entertaining, challenging but manageable
and race organisers were fabulous! Thanks Adventure Junkie! And thank you Brad
Atkinson (www.360wellness.com.au)
No comments:
Post a Comment