Wenzhou Adventure Race, China 2014

Going to China is always an interesting decision. These races currently have better prizes than most yet the risks are also higher. Different, much more greasy food and polluted waterways to swim and paddle in are two such risks creating a roulette style gamble as to who's stomach survives the best. So when Richard Ussher text me needing a teammate I quickly forgot past troubles and put my name down. We had a less than ideal race this year yet team cohesion and genuine stubbornness won through with a good result in placing 2nd overall. Our team: Rich & Elina Ussher, Stu Lynch and me.

Stage 1: 8km skate, 27km canal paddle, 11km mtb, 14km run-abseil-5km run.

If there was one factor that made me more apprehensive than others leading into this race it was an 8km inline skate to start the race. Having never skated I had 6 weeks to get myself comfortable on skates and its safe to say I became known in Stoke as "that guy" on skates. Kids on their way to school would point and laugh, motorists would stare in disbelief and cyclists would arc around me in with the widest berth possible. There's no quicker way to bring ones ego down to earth.

I always expect nerves on the start line, but add shaky legs, a tall lanky athlete, a set of skates and you have a dangerous combination. Off the gun I just set small goals. "Just survive the first corner!". Onto the closed road and I felt much better, enjoying more space to work with. Rich put me on tow and I sat in behind feeling more like a water skier than a skater. We quickly improved pace and before long were catching and passing teams ahead and finished the stage a respectable 7th without any accidents. Relief!

Onto the paddle we quickly set to work catching and passing teams ahead on a rather murky section of canals. As 2 hours in the boat came and went energy levels began to slide. My inherent inability to sit level in the boat has caused problems in the past with these races and became more prominent the longer we paddled. For one reason or another I tilt slightly to the right drifting the boat left. Dougal explains it as an imbalance in testicular weight but I'm guessing it may be slightly more complicated...

Into TA and Elina had a flat tyre quickly sorted with a track pump. Next up was a 500m climb over 11km which was out of the way in a welcome 30minutes. By now Thule and FKS were a few minutes ahead and Adventure sport NZ were right on our tail happy to use Stu's expert navigation for a while. The run was hot and still making for tough running. Despite the heat and tough day of racing we kept a solid pace through the run keeping pace with Adventure sport NZ until the abseil where we were all split up. Rich and I abseiled whereas the other 2 took a flying fox across a deep valley meeting on the other side. 30 minutes later saw us cross the line. First across the line but due to a bottleneck at the start of the paddle Adventure Sport NZ had beaten our overall time by 7minutes. Thule surprisingly were not finished and had lost their way on the run. Not a bad start all things considered.

Stage 2: 14km run, 35km paddle, 46km mtb, abseil

Day 1 was tough enough and given that it was hot I never make assumptions about how I'll fare up. Thankfully I had no gut problems, and had slept well. All things being equal I felt ready to roll.

With a seeded start we got off the blocks second and were soon onto the main 200m climb of the run. The only thing was that the profile was wrong and it turned into 500m. Ah well, welcome to China! With several thousand steps to ascend and descend built for your standard Chinese foot I found running slightly sideways gave the best chance of survival. Rich however was plagued by an injured ankle from last year and had to endure considerable pain during down hill running. Luckily the 2nd half of the run was relatively flat so he could get a rhythm going. Into the boats we were quickly confused by directions to paddle against the flow. It soon dawned that being inland there was a lag in the tides and we'd have to fight for another 30mins or so.

Paddling soon turned into a less than desirable experience. It was undoubtedly the most polluted river I've ever seen and the end couldn't come quick enough. Dead animals, rubbish, sewage you name it floating in the river. Unbelievable as to why they put the course there.

Onto the bikes we were treated to 30minutes of undulating concrete road to warm into things. Then we began to climb reasonably steep and technical 4wd track. This was interspersed with the odd piece of single track and more concrete. Surprisingly up ahead we saw Thule pushing their bikes on what was essentially manageable gradient. It seems they had pushed their limit running and paddling leaving empty tanks for the ride. A puncture soon after sealed their fate allowing us to pass on the final climb and build another 10 minutes in the final 50minutes of riding.

To finish the day two of us would climb 14 or so stories up a high rise and abseil down. Stu & I felt strong so headed off and enjoyed a quad burning stair climb to the ropes. Choosing not to absorb our concrete surroundings we descended as quick as possible and crossed the line 7minutes behind Adventure Sport NZ. Not a super fast stage for us but steady all the way and had given ourselves a decent chance of defending 2nd overall.


Stage 3: 2km Orienteering, 14km Run, 20km paddle, 46km Mountainbike.

If there was a day sent to test us as a team then this was it. After to scum ridden river yesterday both Rich and Elina had gone down with gut problems. Elina had vomiting and diarrhoea all night. The aim of the day: Survive and minimise our losses to Thule who would be out for a comeback. First up the race organisers cancelled the 20km paddle section. We would instead bus from the run to the bike and restart the race. Mixed emotions here as our team strength lay in a great ability to pace ourselves throughout the day. Thule were great off the blocks and this would give them two starts to pour the acid on. On the flip side was that we were a significantly weaker team with both Rich and Elina sick.

The day started with a short navigation section where we all separated and navigated using an aerial photo. Rather chaotic but we emerged at the front of the pack and got into the run in 2nd spot. Throughout the run we did our best to keep Elina up with the pace and managed to minimise the damage to 3 minutes which was a great result all things considered. Onto the buses we went and gazed in awe at the 6knot winds blasting the coastline happy to be sheltered and safe aboard the bus.

The bike start was staggered and it was getting warm. A quick inflation of Elina's tyre saw us on the road again this time beginning an 800m climb. Rich was riding well off the blocks and I was hurting after the last couple of days. For the first 20mins I just hung tough until the pace eased and I warmed up. Soon I was back into a good rhythm and helping tow Elina up the hill. It was a long climb becoming more technical the higher we got eased only by a steady sea breeze. Throughout the ride we rode at a good pace but the combination of our weakened team and the fact that Thule were firing and pushing hard made for a large deficit.

The day finished with a 2km run and an 8 foot wall climb. I used Rich and Stu as a step and and climbed the wall first rewarded with nasty cramp as I rounded the top. Next we hauled Elina and Rich up leaving Stu solo at the bottom. Rich and I reached over, Stu jumped and we caught his hands. A combination of sweat, fatigue and Stu being pretty solid (no offence Stu!) meant that we took 3 attempts to get him over feeling momentarily like we were part of the Cliffhanger movie.

All done, and time to inspect the damage. 19mins lost. Bugger. 10.5mins still in hand to protect 2nd overall from Thule. Tomorrow was set to be another punishing stage..... Time to tuck into another Butter Chicken from Absolute Wilderness. Great fuel for what needed to be another great fire!



Stage 4: 16km paddle, 24km mtb, 9km run. 

With Rich and Elina getting some food in overnight we were in good spirits going into the 4th and final stage. We were ready to work hard and defend. It was obvious Thule were ready to attack. Adventure Sport NZ were having a great race and needed to keep out of trouble.

Initiating the stage was a swing bridge abseil for only one team member into a reservoir swimming 60m to the kayaks before paddling 16km on the reservoir. Rich being the best swimmer did the honours and was soon in the boat and underway. We had front spot with chaos ensuing behind. The aim for us on the paddle - not work too hard and keep Thule in sight. As it turned out we spent most of the paddle at the front. About 5 other teams sat in behind content with our moderate pace setting occasionally heading to the front to relieve our duties. Into TA we were sure to sit at the front creating an easier exit onto the floating pontoon.

TA was its usual chaos with more air needed for Elina's tyre. Initially we assumed Thule had jumped us in TA so Rich rode like a madman for 20 minutes. Stu and I glanced at each other knowing that both of us had borrowed time at this pace. Funnily enough Thule were in fact behind and upon discovering this the pace eased and we caught much needed breath. Not for long though.....Thule attacked on the next climb and sat in front setting the pace. Not losing much time I was happy so far until Rich punctured. Two stops for more air didn't solve the problem so we decided on a tyre change. Costing valuable minutes the disappointment intensified when we entered TA 500m later. Bugger.

Onto the run 5 minutes down we had 5 minutes between us and 3rd overall. Time to run for it. The run for me was a blur of stomach cramps and pain knowing that it had to be a solid stage. Luckily the end came before I needed a squat (rather unusual in China) and only 30 further seconds were lost to Thule. It was a great come back from the Europeans but we were stoked to hold them off. Given our circumstances 2nd overall was nothing to be scoffed at. Time for a beer even if it is Budweiser!    

It was great to race with Rich, Elina and Stu over the week and despite a new combination the team pulled through some decent obstacles to pull of a great result. A big thanks also to Red Bull China for their support.

A big thanks to Thermatech, Rasdex, Legend Paddles and R&R Sport, my personal sponsors making this all possible. And last but not least I must thank Absolute Wilderness freeze dry meals for without their amazing food I'd still be squatting in the Hotel toilet burning my quads to hell. It's a real luxury to travel with such great support.

Wenzhou Video link - click vids/pics then 2014

Coast to Coast 2014

Back in September last year I had a call from Albert from Thermatech. Having secured Sponsorship rights for the Coast to Coast 2014 he was enthusiastic about my involvement in the Longest Day. I was not. Don't get me wrong, I love the race but with the World Adventure Racing Champs in December and some promised family time over Christmas I was feeling the pressure and apprehensive about managing a race so soon after.

What ensued were several discussions with our family spokesperson (My wife Rach!) and Albert. Both parties emphasised that there was no pressure to perform to my previous standards and Rach laid down the ultimatum that if it would happen at all I wouldn't start any training until the 8th of January and would be away for a wedding 5 days from the 22nd. Albert was happy, Rach was satisfied and we had a deal.

As for race day.....I had undoubtedly my most enjoyable Coast to Coast yet and am already looking back on the day with good memories. All was not plain sailing though. Here is a very brief account of my day:

6am. Having the number 2 gives me a less than ideal start spot on the beach with an awkward dogleg to the start banner but the plus was that my bike is first on the rack. Juddy hoots his hooter and we're off. 30 seconds of sand, rocks and heel jumping go by I and wake up to the realisation that I am running too slow. I try to sharpen up but my lack of training is highlighted right from the gun and together with Dan Busch we lose 200m on the front pack. I transition shoddily and have to work hard to catch Dan. Catching the front bunch will be hard and we give it a good shot but after 15km we aren't making ground. We decide to save ourselves for the run and wait for the chasing bunch of 7 riders.

What has played out is a shocker start by my standards but it is what it is and what I do next is what counts. With a decent bunch of 9 we make good progress but lose a valuable 7 minutes on the front pack.

7:40am. Now onto the run (thanks to my awesome crew!) the legs were lethargic and heavy. I was around 17th place. Not in my usual form I steadily progressed up the deception to Goat Pass picking off the odd runner along the way. I was still trying to force a good run out of myself despite feeling off form. Large rock jumps went astray leaving me face down in the river, route selection was rough and at one stage I ended a bad jump upside down in a waist deep pool surfacing under a waterfall. It felt like a real life version of the TV series wipe out.

At the pass I caught Angus Watson who was visibly excited to be racing the Coast to Coast. Quietly talking to myself I ordered some chill pills, let the shoulders drop and chatted with Angus for 10-15mins. Slowly but surely the lights came back on, composure returned and long lost efficiency was restored. Soon after Minga bivvy I said my good buys to Angus and took off on my own.

11am. Into Klondyke corner the legs were weary and cramped but my philosophy had changed. I was loving the day and the cramp became a minor sideline. 15km of biking provided a great opportunity to eat real food and drink plenty before the kayak. More cramp hit me at the top of the Mt White Road but once the shoes were on I ran at a solid pace to the river giving my crew a sweat up along the way!

Transition was slick, real slick, a little too slick in fact. After 30mins of paddling a brief look down revealed that I had no food. My crew had forgotten my lunch box. F@#k! Ah well. I'd just have to manage with limited gels and coke in the PFD. Unbeknown to me a dust cloud that would make roadrunner proud was tearing down the valley towards Gooseberry stream. Meals on wheels!

Sure enough as I passed the checkpoint at Gooseberry Patrick passed over the lunchbox with barely a stroke missed. Seamless. Many thanks to Kate from legend paddles for the use of her driving services in our time of need. What a game changer that could have been.

The Waimakariri was by far my most enjoyable part of the day. I felt strong and relaxed throughout and even managed to pick my way back to 5th overall. At Gorge Bridge there was 3 minutes to Glen Currie in 4th and 6mins to Sam Manson in 3rd. I had a shot at getting another place with a good ride. A great ride could snatch a podium spot.

Neither would eventuate unfortunately. Glen had the 2nd fastest ride of the day to claim 3rd overall and Sam would hold me out by 90seconds. So close! From a rough start I had picked my way back into the race and finished strong making for an enjoyable race all round. It was a far from ideal performance but with 3 weeks training one needs to be philosophical. I'm happy and that's all that matters!

I cant thank my loyal crew enough for another great day out (Patrick, Mark and Pete/Dad). Thanks also to Thermatech for getting the ball rolling and amazing support throughout, R & R Sport, Rasdex and Legend Paddles for great sponsorship making this level of achievement possible.

 

Queen Charlotte Classic 2013

On Saturday morning we awoke to a calm yet overcast Marlborough day. Perfect racing conditions! Starting the day with a 30minute cruise to Mistletoe Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound I had an added bonus with Rach and Zack joining me for the boat ride. Sidetracked by Zack for a few minutes I found myself scurrying with a 30second call for the start. Talk about easily distracted!

As it turns out the distraction worked well. I had a great day out there. Peter Jones from the Marlborough Express describes the day well with his following article......

Marlborough Express Queen Charlotte article


Pictures below are courtesy of the Marlborough Express also:

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!

Ecomotion Brazil August 2013 - en route

Well here we are in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Yesterday was another decent travel day in the life of a part time adventure racer. The past week has been slightly more entertaining than the usual build up. Three days ago Chris managed  to puncture wound himself whilst racing in the Orienteering world games in Columbia. Soon realising that he wouldn't be able to meet us and race Eco motion another race began......the race to find a team mate.

Following a few persuasive pep talks (aka "harden the F@#k up talks) Dougal Allan to his credit jumped on board. With only a couple of days to pack Dougal will follow us on a later flight Thursday NZ time. Today we travel to Ilheus then on to the race HQ for final preparations. Dougal will meet us there on Friday.

Racing starts on Saturday with Nath assuming role of our new navigator in a 90min rogaine for the prologue. The main racing starts on Sunday. Race updates should be available on www.ecomotion.com.br. You may need to translate the page.

3D Rotorua, Queens Birthday weekend 2013

Its hard to turn down a weekend away. This time was even more exciting as Rach was racing too. She was primed for what I had described to her as a really fun race that won't interrupt your weekend too much!

Rotorua has quite the reputation for mountain biking and we needed no further reasoning to head through the mountain bike section before the race. Good times....

Racing 3D is slightly different to your typical NZ Multisport race. Start time is at a leisurely 10:45am, support crew are optional and its only 3 hours long. Following our Wenzhou race in China I vowed to take a month of lighter duties with respect to training. This also meant that 3D would not be a race I'd focus on, but use it more for some good hard training.

As the day unfolded I was pleasantly surprised at how good I felt after much needed recovery. I wasn't up with the pace of Rich or Dougal but I felt strong and in control, rather than the fatigue that had crept in after China and Godzone. The main thing lacking was speed but with only 3 speed sessions in my build up it was no surprise.

Starting with a 9km paddle I opted to paddle a K1 and had a solid paddle. It was a competitive section of the race leaving me in 5th/6th exiting the water. Dougal and James Pretto (Aussie) were 30 secs in front with Rich a further minute in front of them. Getting onto the bike is always a challenge after a short hard slog in the boat. My legs felt cold and smashed but I soon found a rhythm climbing out of the Blue Lake and into the Whakarewarewa mountain bike park. Before long I was into a groove with no real plan other than to smash as hard as possible and see what happened. This strategy caught me back to James Pretto but left no gas in the tank to get past him so I sat on his wheel for the remaining 30minutes (apart from one small incident where I tried wearing my handlebars as underpants....not recommended!). Into TA I felt good and was soon into my stride but with 7 minutes to Dougal and Rich my race was now for 3rd. James had gapped me by 10 secs through transition and was running well maintaining the gap. It wasn't until later in the first lap that I caught and passed him.

 It all happened so easily that I may be guilty of complacency and gave him a 2nd chance without knowing it. My slight drop in pace had him chasing hard but fortunately he ran out of time. I crossed the line more than 10 minutes behind an elated Dougal but 30secs in front of James for third also keeping the Aussies off the podium....always a good thing (sorry aussies).

I had a great day and really enjoyed racing with a more relaxed view on the outcome. Despite an average of 6-7 hours training a week Rach had a fantastic race proving she can race single track and had a great time in the process.

Bring on 2014....

Rollo's 8 Hour adventure race - Nelson!

Post China had been pretty mad at the gym but my decision to take a month of light duties training was paying off. The thought of racing just down the road and with Rach had me really excited. Keeping a long story short we had a great day racing from Pelorus Bridge to the Trafalgar Pavillion in Nelson. Given that Rach at best manages to train for an hour a day she was amazingly strong AND despite all her pre race talk about not racing and taking it easy she warmed to the competitive spirit very quickly and effortlessly. Rach commended me after the race for "listening" to what she wanted to do. Faster, slower, left, right, tow, don't tow you name it I did it. As a result we produced our first argument free race and I now have discovered a significant relationship tool moving forward.....just do what she says. Brilliant! I always was a slow learner.

Anyway, onto the race. Race director Chris James was organising his last Rollos. It will be sad to see him step aside after such a great service but he sums the race up perfectly below:

Rollo’s Nelson Adventure Race 2013 – The Journey Home

Anakiwa to Nelson is not that far isn’t it? That may have been the thought on most competitor’s mines once the 2013 Rollo’s Nelson Adventure Race course was release on the Friday night. Actually the course may have looked a little soft.

It had a bit of everything in it, the Marlborough Sounds Kayak Portage race, parts of the 2002 Southern Traverse, the Migym Musselman, The Rollo’s 3&6Hour and the Coppermine Epic.

Anakiwa was the start line for both the AR12 & AR24 sections of the race that started at 9.30am with a short jog to their waiting kayaks at Tirimonana Jetty for the paddle stage to Mistletoe Bay. Leading the charge to Mistletoe Bay were the best in the game, Team Seagate – Subway, who as they paddle past the Anakiwa jetty had already put 200mm on the field on what was a picture postcard morning.

Once at Mistletoe Bay there was a portage over the saddle to TeMahia Wharf for the 19km paddle to Kaiuma Bay. The day was warm, the scenery stunning and the pace was hot for those trying to keep up. However there had been a catch, those paddling non racing kayaks were given a 30 minute head start, it was going to be interesting who would arrive at CP2 first. It was the 2 person team Motueka High/ Coppins Cycles of Jake Stow and Andrew Read who arrived first. They had a plastic double and a trolley and they were paddling across TeMahia Bay when Seagate-Subway arrive, with Faavae doing a Colin ‘Pinetree’ Meads impersonation with  JKK Quasar on one shoulder while Richard Ussher, JJ Wilson and Sophie Hart followed behind. Auckland team True Adventure were next having been passed by Seagate – Subway before CP 2, while the Rollo’s Shuffle, Andrew Martin, Matt Ellery, Tony Bateup and Lynley Coventry were next onto the water.

Meanwhile at TA1 – Kaiuma Bay. Those doing the Adventure Duathlon’s AD12 & AD24 were getting ready for their start at 11.30am. They would ride to the Maitai Dam in the back of Nelson via the not often used Kaiuma Bay Road to Pelorus Bridge, up the Pelorus Valley then over the Maungatapu Track to the remote transition at the Maitai Dam. There was a bunch of 5 Adventure Duathlon teams that reached CP4 together, teams C&B Sessions, Fe Maidens, A Mixed Bag, The Mount Somers Panthers and Not another Bloody Hill. And it was another (first of many)Bloody hill that was to sort these 5 teams out as the ascended the Maungatapu Track to CP5 at its Saddle before the descent into the Maitai Dam and TA2.

A little later at CP4 was the start for the AD8 – the Eight Hour Duathlon started at 1.30pm. They would also ride to the Maitai Dam, have a short trek, there continue onto TA4.

Yes another start, you haven’t missed anything, the race had 3 starts. This made the race interesting as the AD 8 would start last, but finish first, the AR12, AD12 & 24 would also be able to finish before most of the AR24 teams. So there were races within racers and course within courses. Teams would see the leading teams in the other racers during the day & night. Normally at an adventure race you would only see the favourites at the start line, not today and the leading teams would pass the others during their race to the finish. With 3 minutes of the AD8 starting team Seagate – Subway arrived with the Rollo’s Shuffle only 15 minutes back. It was going to be interesting what would happen once they caught the AD8 race as Team Seagate’s - Trevor Voyce had elected to race with wife Rachel in her comeback race since adding to the population of the Voyce house. At the top of the climb to CP5 at the Maungatapu Saddle Voyce’s Team Migym Truck & Trailer were 5 minutes ahead of Seagate – Subway unaware that they were so close and at this stage only 20 minutes behind the leading Adventure Duathlon teams.

The plan with the staggered start was to have all the teams at TA2 doing the treks at the same time. Yes treks, as the AR12 & AD8 had a shorten trek CP6, CP7 & CP11. AR24 & AD24 had the full trek to complete while the AD12 had a ½ trek CP6, CP7, CP8 & CP9.

The Maitai Dam was a remote transition, no crew allowed, so team had to self-supported, so once they arrive at TA2 they grabbed their team’s transition bag before heading into the wilderness. Teams in the full race would be required to trek to CP6, CP7, CP8 – Dew Lakes, CP9 – Dun Shelter, CP10 – Wooded Peak before heading to CP11 to then return to TA3. There is a lot a lot of climbing between these CP’s.

TA2 & TA3 were the same spot and it was busier that a railway station as team came and went.

Leading the charge back into TA3 were Migym Truck & Trailer of Trevor & Rachael Voyce. It was still daylight as they headed out on the pipe-line and dun mountain walkway ride to TA4 at the Brook Motorcamp they looked well clear of the rest of the field. The Forsyth Barr Trillseekers of Ken Page, Reid Forrest and Robyn Dunmore & Euan MacIntosh now had the AR12 lead and left TA3 ahead of the leading AD12 team Brenda Clapp & Chris Burr of the C&B Sessions. However the night was but young.

CP12 could have been a game breaker, a lonely picnic table on the Dun Mountain walkway, with an option. Either descend down Bullock spur, a nationally ranked downhill MTB track or face to the valley below or take the longer and safer route to the crossroads above the Brook Motorcamp to TA4 – Cabin 23? Many took the spur option, maybe it was because it was dark and all the danger may have been hidden it the shadows. How they ride down this is amazing, just walking it is a mission.

At TA4 teams were given a new map they needed to get the 7 checkpoint numbers on their way to the Trafalgar Park Pavilion finish line. This was to take teams on foot over the Grampians behind Nelson, before descending (for the last time) then across Nelson city via the church steps and the Rollo’s shop window to reach the finish to complete their journeys home.

As predicted the first team home was the AD8 winners Migym Truck & Trailer in 6hours 19 minutes and the Waimea College Hillary Challenge teams in 7hours & 41 minutes.

The AD12 winners were C&B Sessions in a very smart 10 hours and 54 minutes ahead of Fe Maidens all women’s combination of Ingird Ritcher, Jane Orbell & Meg Bichard who were 12hours even with a Mixed bag 3^rd in 12hours & 25 minutes.

Poppy’s Choice of Leigh Champion & Mike Kyle claimed the AD24 title in 14hours and 27minuntes

The AR12 title went to the Forsyth Barr Trillseekers in a respectable 13hours & 8 minutes, with Team Kamakazi Joe & Jackie MacIntyre with Brian & Jacqui Nathan in 14hours 12 minutes and Hobbling But Hot & Awatea B&B 3^rd in 14hours 45minutes.

However in between all these teams finishing, on the stroke of Midnight, the 2013 Rollo’s Nelson Adventure Race champions team Seagate-Subway arrive in 14hours and 18 minutes leaving all behind them in their wake. The Rollo’s Shuffle were second in 15hours & 38minutes and the Wombles (yes that 70’s TV program) of Ash & Naomi Whitehead, Gilbert Robinson & Gerald Malcolm took the bronze in 18hours & 2 minutes.

As the church bells rang out across Nelson that Sunday morning, 13 years earlier I had started the first of the 12 Rollo’s Nelson Adventure Races on Tahunanui Beach and this morning I had brought the race home. My journey home was now complete.

Chris ‘the Sheriff’ James