Diary of a hairy legged multisport racer

Wednesday 4 September 2013

Ecomotion Brazil 2013







Prologue:
For Dougal and I the race couldn't have started much worse. The prologue consisted of 9 controls in rogaine format (aka you could get them in any order). Nath would get 5 in close, Dougal and I would get 3 on the far end of the course and Sophie would get 1 close to the start. The first control for us was down the far end of the peninsula so we planned to run the beach to the end. In the heat of the moment clouded by 5km of fast running I ran into the peninsula early immediately hitting CP4 but assuming it was CP2. From here as you would expect nothing made sense and a very quick unanswered 40minutes went by without finding the other 2 controls. Simply put we were looking on the wrong side of the  control. It was a schoolboy error with a schoolboy result......we ran out of time.

It wasn't until we got back to our bungalow that everything fitted into place. Talk about a backwards start.


The Race Begins:

At 5:30am on Sunday 11th August we boarded a bus heading for the race start in Largada, a small seaside village on the Bahia coast. Arriving at 8am the day was already cranking hot and we weren't starting for  hours. Cutting to the chase, the race start involved a run to our kayaks followed by a 4km paddle round an island of mangroves. As expected it was chaotic with many teams jostling for position. Within 2km we had reached the front but rounding the island hit shallow water. Following teams opted to portage early and snuck in front, a wise move. Back into TA we were neck and neck with 2 other teams but a hasty transition saw us lead comfortably onto the initial 65km trek. With a limited knowledge of the local trails we stuck to the coast initially. This definitely cost time on following teams but ensured we remained on the right track. The rugged coast was spectacular and definitely a high point om the course for me. Small channels to swim, exposed sea cliffs to traverse and the odd slalom through budgie smuggling beach goers made for an entertaining time.Occasional bush bashing also revealed the gritty and aggressive nature of local plant life cutting us to shreads.....Not fun!

CP4 saw the course head inland. Now we were totally reliant on the accuracy of trails marked on the map. Darkness was setting in, we were feeling good and held a narrow lead. Within a couple of hours Nath was finding that making sense of a 1:100000 map with indistinct trails had its difficulties. Trail junctions were virtually impossible to make out and the relationship between trails marked on the map versus contours and features was a weak one at best. So....after a few backtracks and some careful pacing we hit CP5. This was a warning of things to come as the approach to CP6 proved just as difficult. Within 2km of the CP we reached a saddle expecting to have a trail leading off down river right (according to the map). Assuming the map was correct we continued on the right of a small creek and soon found ourselves contouring through thick forest minus a trail. After what seemed like an eternity we intercepted a trail and made our way to CP6. It had cost us 2-3 hours of scraggly bush bashing. Not ideal.








The course now continued South to a lake where we would complete a 3.4km swim. Initially it was great to get the weight off the legs but after 65km of trekking and at 3am we soon found it was a battle to keep warm. With gear in drybags we kicked, splashed and floundered our way through the distance taking a lengthy 2 hours to complete the section. Day 2 dawned as we stumbled ashore fighting to stay warm. It was a real mental battle not to overdo our layers because in an our or so the day would be cranking hot again. The next section was a largely flat water section of river on the Almada river taking us back to the coast. It was a chance to get a steady rhythm going and give the legs a much needed break. CP10 was on the coast with an option to portage to the beach or paddle the remainder of the river to the sea. With the portage option looking shorter in distance we went for it. Breaking out through the waves was a great way to splash ourselves awake again and enjoy the salty air. Onwards we went to CP 11, the beach at Ilheus. Getting in through the break at Ilheus was really fun. Dougal and I had a great run and only capsized upon reaching the beach. Good times. Ilheus had a small orienteering challenge for us to complete of about 40 minutes before we portaged into the Esturary of the Rio de Engenho. CP15 was 10km up the Engenho and came rather quickly despite an oublisstgoing tide. We were now to ride our bikes for the first time. Awesome!









Stage 3 Mountainbike: 73.6km

This bike ride would prove to be the crux of our expedition. Nath started great and we made a solid progress but after 20km it all stopped making sense. The scale of the map combined with the speed of travel was making junctions and features very difficult to decipher. Finding CP16 was a messy process but time and perseverance paid off. Nath was clearly becoming tired from a lack of accuracy in the map and reading the larger scale.CP 17 came uneventfully and was the small village, Vila Brasil. Here we found hot cheesy bread rolls and cans of drink. It was bliss, even just for a moment.

From Vila Brasil to CP18 (Vale dos Quatis, entrance to Parque Nacional Serra das Lontras) things really got challenging. There was a myriad of 4wd trails/ roads most of which were not marked. If you lost your exact location at any stage there was no ability whatsoever to relocate. At one stage we spent 30-60mins on a set of trails ending up where we began. This trend continued for a couple of hours until it was evident that we were not making any progress. Reality set in that Nath was really tired, it was raining, nothing made sense and we had started making mistakes on the greasy surface (wet, hard packed clay) with the odd crash. It was 2:30am and a call was made to sleep until daylight. We would slip behind the teams in front but there was no other option....we needed to work out where we were. At 5:15am dim light signaled the beginning of a fresh start and Nath went for an explore for clues. Finding an Argentinian team he gained vital clues that would get us out of our predicament. Soon we all hit the road again and started making steady progress. By now the rain had turned the surface to a sticky clay mud consistency quickly deteriorating our chains adding yet another challenge to the journey. But as we only know keeping consistent momentum is the only option. Slowly and steadily we chipped away and by 9:30am we were in TA. Next up......78km of trekking.


Stage 4: 78km Trek, Serra das Lontras to Cascata.

This section was to be the longest on the course. We had allowed 20 hours to complete but given the past two stages we started out with open minds that we could be trekking for significantly longer. The aim on this stage for Nath was to spend time getting to know the specifics of how the maps worked as to date this was our major challenge. It was likely that several teams had passed us while sleeping last night but our focus had to be getting back to smooth navigation and keeping our pace steady.

The section started well. Despite certain track junctions not making sense Nath managed to use a significant saddle to get us on the right track. This section was slightly unusual in that we had a race photographer shadowing us until CP21. A taped track lead us over the high point of the trek (about 800m) through steep thick atlantic forest. CP's 19 and 20 came and went uneventfully with some great navigation on Nath's part. Spirits were high as the progress felt good and the map was starting to fit into place for Nath. CP 21 was the town of Arataca and the plan of taking rest there was fitting well with us all. This CP would also give an indication as to how the teams ahead were performing and what margin we needed to chase down....We took 3 hours at Arataca, equating to just over 2 hours sleep. Conditions weren't great. Cardboard boxes for sleeping mats, people constantly coming and going and the noise of a street party outside the hall where we slept. Brazilians sure know how to celebrate the little things! Nonetheless I slept like a baby for 2 hours and woke up shivering like crazy but rejuvenated.  BNS had also just woken and has had 6 hours rest putting them 3 hours ahead. The Columbians were a further 4 hours ahead but we had no idea if they had slept. This entire trek would be a matter of chipping off small targets. Likely as not the length of this trek would dictate another sleep at some stage but in the mean time....one foot after another.....

The route to 22 was a 16km mix of sealed and dirt roads and came without drama. 23 proved more difficult. We had been following the Vale Perdido (lost valley) leading to a 600m climb up to the Serra Bonita. As was becoming a trend for this race the base of such climbs requires a combination of trail junctions that require tight navigation and don't necessarily make sense on the map. To make matters worse we had BNS in close proximity creating a disorganised sense of pace (as tends to happen when two teams are close, one team will influence the others pace and either raise or lower our teams pace). A smooth decision from Nath saw us ahead of BNS and headed towards the climb. Unfortunately the maps proved confusing yet again and we lost time getting back on track. The day by now was close  to 8 in the morning and was getting hot fast. The heat is my major nemesis in these races and the heat had me worried. A timely watering hole saw me shivering after a swim, water supplies replenished and an the awareness that the entire climb would be in the shelter of the forest. Dream result! The two teams remained locked until CP23 on the Serra Bonita where we decided to take a 3 hour rest. The presence of accommodation we could hire made the decision easy. Beds, a shower, a fresh start. It was a no brainer.



3 hours went like a flash but once walking again I felt a million bucks. It would now be 5 minutes to CP24, an hour to CP25 at the very top of the hill then another couple of hours to CP26 and the end of the stage. Without too much trouble we marched out the remaining CP's took a couple of stream dunks to cool off and found ourselves jogging/ shuffling the final 2km down the road to CP26 and the start of the races second mountain bike section.

CP26 wasn't all good news. Due to the race taking much longer than organisers anticipated they had shortened the following section by 3 CP's. If this trend continued we were running out of time to catch the teams ahead. Still possible but we didn't need any more reductions. Onto the bikes felt like bliss. Progress was good and we all felt strong. As a whole the section went well with fast riding conditions but where we came unstuck was with the locals. On one occasion a farmer motioned for us to go in one direction yet Nath was certain we needed to travel directly past him. The language barrier made this a confusing situation and while we reached the CP eventually, valuable time was lost in the process. Portugese speaking teams had the ability to solve these situations is seconds rather that several minutes not to mention achieve a more direct route as a result. Call it a home town advantage that would ultimately add up to hours. In this particular ride we were riding for just over 4 hours yet on the course for 7 demonstrating how much time was being lost.


PC34 was significant in that it was the start of the third and final trek. This trek would also include a caving section with a 100m vertical rope ascent to get out. Following another smooth TA complete with gear check and we hit the road again, literally as the first couple of k's was on the seal. Before long we climbed to 500m and entered the Lapao Cavern. I was  getting hot so the drop in temperature was welcome. There seemed to be a trend during the race that the hours after darkness and preceding dawn became very hot and sticky....a personal enemy of mine. Maybe it was just me but I tended to find these hours particularly uncomfortable. The cave was awesome. Cool, quiet and challenging bursts of rock scrambling and small gaps to negotiate between large open caverns. Not a place for the faint hearted. Not long after entering the cave I came across two ropes. Time to ascend. Harnesses on and up I went. The ascent wasn't particularly difficult until the top section where we had to negotiate a section of rock to exit the cave. A few awkward minutes later and I stood outside the cave panting madly. Good times yet again!

Soon after we were off again enjoying a mix of mud, bog and more mud en route to CP38. One CP to go. Feet were by now starting to kill. Dougal tried running the road in his socks to no avail. This section of sealed and gravel roads would have to rate as one of the most monotonous on the course. It could have made a great 17km bike ride yet we were confined to plodding it out on the hobnail express. Safe to say it dragged....alot.

Next up though.....paddling.....awesome! Time off the feet, rapids, water, great. Shuffling into TA opened up to a doubly pleasing view. Not only were the kayaks sitting there waiting but BNS were still in TA meaning we were now less than 15 minutes behind them. Another reason for a slick TA. This next 49km of kayaking would be on the Rio Pardo. Initially there would be a mix of rapids ranging from grades I to III. Most of these were great and good fun. They represented an awesome way for me to wake from what seemed like constant sleepyness. Alarm bells rang when an official directed me down a rather unorthodox line on a grade II section resulting in us bumping off a rock. On speaking with Dougal we decided to ignore the officials and trust my judgement. Next up was a larger drop. Despite our conversation I went with the officials line mainly due to my concern that he could see something I couldn't. As a turned out he sent us down a lousy line sending us sideways into a curling wave that flipped us and resulted in a hefty swim. What a bugger! Nath and Soph had suffered the same fate leaving all four of us swimming. A remount, regather and selection of expletives later saw us back on the river. Now I really was awake....

As the river continued the rapids thinned and the river shallowed out. We could see BNS in front and decided to start paddling with more conviction. Slowly but surely we pulled time in but ultimately ran out of river and transitioned just behind them. The TA was slightly unusual in that we put our bikes together, paddled them over the river then two teammates would return, drop a boat and hand paddle back to the bikes (hence leaving only one boat for officials to collect).

Stage 7:145km mountainbike (Rio Pardo TA to the towns of Belmonte then Canavieiras)

 Transitioning from the paddle I wasn't feeling myself. Typically after 4 days of racing I don't expect to feel a million bucks but for some reason I felf drastically low in energy. Its happened before and is usually down to heat exhaustion or poor eating. I'd been eating like a madman for the entire race and wasn't sick making food an unlikely explanation. After 6 hours paddling in the sun, the heat argument held more merit. I battled it out for the first 20km of riding but eventually I had to concede defeat and handed as much weight as possible over to Nath, Soph and Dougal. I then went on a mission to eat as much as possible over the space of an hour. What followed was a grim few hours in my camp. I zoned out and just did my own thing keeping the others in sight, always thankful of the extra load they were taking on my behalf. 60km went by relatively fast. Nath had the navigation dialed, the roads were smooth and BNS slipped away behind us. A ferry across the Rio Jequitinhonha changed everything. The trails became riddled with mud then cattle pugging and eventually sand. The going was slow and nasty on the bikes. By the time we reached Belmonte my energy levels were on the rise and we had the opportunity to take the final 2 hours of compulsory rest. All sprightly and energetic after more than an hours sleep we ripped into the last 30km of riding. We hammered down to the river jumped on the ferry,smacked back a bag of muesli and did a few stretches ready to tear apart the last 25km of riding for the race. Bring it on B#@ch! If this was a movie the following sound would be a screeching, whining sound of video tape grinding to a halt for on the other side of the river was 12inch deep pugging, knee deep bog holes linked together by kilometers of sticky mud. It was glorious. Soon after the combination of mud and sand had blocked all moving parts on the bike making riding near on impossible.



Decision making gets hard at this stage of racing but thankfully this section kept it simple. With the bikes & mud now weighing in at 25+kg they were a suffer fest to ride and a suffer fest to carry. Too easy. For the most part carrying won the vote as it was quicker, averaging a respectable 4km/hour. Several character building hours later perseverance won the battle and we entered the final TA for the race. It was hot and despite a change in discipline I was a little worried about how hot the day would get as it was only 9am.

With a smooth transition into the boats we had to decide as to whether we take the mangroves or paddle along the coast. With Nath's paddling background I'm not sure he even registered the mangroves as an option. Feeling rather sleepy the breakers represented a chance for me to get a few cold slaps in the face and a following sea breeze. Things were picking up! By now the gap to Columbia (leading the race) was 90 minutes. If the paddled the mangroves the following sea breeze and current would give us the perfect chance to bridge the gap. Initially all went to plan until with 12km to go they took an option to paddle the sea. We lost our advantage and the margin stuck at about 30 minutes. Oblivious to this we were in good spirits for the final stretch, enjoying being on the sea and knowing that we were moving well. It had been a great finish to a race complete with it's fair share of frustrations.



Despite a last minute team change we had pulled together as a team and knocked back a good many obstacles. Nath, despite not navigating an expedition race in years had overcome challenging maps and tough ground conditions to guide us through to a more than respectable finish. Soph had been a great motivator and kept us moving when shopping for food seemed more appealing. Her inability to waiver in these long races is humbling to watch. Dougal was strong throughout the race and proved his worth several times over despite the fact that we were very pleased he made it in the first place. My race showed to me how much higher my performance needs to go. Its work in progress and luckily I'm surrounded by the best in the business to learn from. Bring on Costa Rica!