Video highlightsby team Running Scared

Team “Adventuregear.com.au” take out line honours

Race Report by Kim Beckinsale - the “KEEN CBD” connection

Just in case you didn’t know Adventure Racings Premier category is usually mixed. This means that usually three guys and a girl team up and navigate their way through challenging course of Kayaking, Mountain biking and Trekking! So as you my have guessed I was girl and I teamed up with John Jacobi (one of Australia’s best AV racers and the brainchild of Rapid Ascent who put on the Anaconda series and the Keen Adventure Race) Guy Andrews (Australian Surf Ironman Legend and Leading Adventure racer) and all- rounder Sam Maffett (from the Rapid Ascent Team that John has hand picked to design some of the most challenging courses around).

Now adventure racing is not just about survival of the fittest and toughest it’s also all about team work and planning organisation. Our preparation was not as easy as it is for some given two of the team were from Victoria and two from Queensland. But thanks to numerous emails back and forth we managed to all get there to Sawtell. We passed gear checks and competency checks with flying colours and I got my first taste of paddling a RED 7 Double Ski and also the opportunity to paddle with JJ – I was very very comfortable with that which was a huge boost to my confidence for the ocean paddle which was set to start the race.

Mapping and course route selection talks up most of our time prior to the start of the race. (This all takes place the evening before the race) Once the maps are issued at rego its all eyes on the map and the team goes to work. JJ and Guy plot the coordinates – Sam and I read details and write notes for the team – this is the business end of the race. Sam was particularly organised and on top of everything – this included briefing the support crew of their role during the race. Our support Crew David and Alan and support Chef Gloria (Guys mum) were always in the right place at the right time and this was a huge boost to our team. (We would not have been so successful without them)

Race day arrives and threats of cancelling the paddle due to extreme weather conditions that flooded many parts of the Central NSW coast failed to dampen the start of Geoquest. We all made our way to the beach at Sawtell and pondered what we had in store for us. It was cold and wet and windy, the Geo Half competitors got hammered on the waves on their start prior to ours – but ours was seamless! JJ and Guy on front of the Red 7’s with Sam and me sitting behind just ploughed throughout the waves and opened up a huge lead on the entire field. JJ found and caught the biggest swells possible – I was paddling my little arms off but somehow managed to keep in time (well mostly).

We hit TA one and y made an exit down the beach on foot in ride and tie style. So while three ran one rode the bike dumped it for the person at the back. We got a great rhythm going found the CP on the headland then snapped the chain on the bike just near the end of the leg. But the TA was close by so we were soon again paddling but this time up stream to a park where our support crew met us with our bikes.

So off we set on our MTB’s out a paddock along a train line then we started a climb! It was wet slippery and mostly unrideable – so the hike a bike had returned to haunt us from Geo last year – but lucky this time there was a track. Guy managed to break and his chain, repair it and get back on the bike. Meanwhile JJ was showing his supreme strength pushing two bikes (his and mine – the light GIANT ANTHEM thanks to Anthony from CBD Cycles Melbourne) up the hill. So this allowed me to keep up and stay in touch with JJ as he powered up the hill. We were still in front but once we started the Trek we found out that Team Mountain Designs had slipped by us on route to the first Trek CP. They stumbled on as track which led them in the right direction while we were left bush bashing through thick scrub (lost of lantana and wait a while) but that is what adventure racing is all about – lost of planning but a bit of luck here and there does not go astray. We did not get in front of MD’s and at the end of the trek found that Team XTerrain was closing in on us. As it was getting dark we were riding down steep rocky descents, the guys hammered and I peddled cautiously – being a light weight makes it pretty impossible to generate the speed that the guys can anyway – and sometimes I don’t think that’s such a bad thing. We met our support crew and they drove us and our bikes back to the campsite ready for the next leg – our transitions were lightning fast and this was in our favour.

We had a feed of Gloria’s fine foods - things like hot potatoes risotto chicken strips and warm soup – while we had a compulsory 50minutes in the TA. This time flew as we were also required to organise gear for a bike gear drop that we would then have to carry everything from that point on.

Warm and kitted out for a 14k trek off we set out of the TA. But the only problem we had a cold stream to cross and we were dry and warm. So off come the clothes and into a dry bag as we all wade in the raw with arms up high. We quickly start to get our gear back on only to hear JJ call out “ come on guys stop powdering your noses” – JJ was dressing and running at the same time..... Mmmm I can’t say that that had been a part of my training routine! So Sam Guy and I eventually caught up and off we set down the beautiful beach listening to the crashing sound of the waves – the starts were out and it was a beautiful night. JJ carried my pack here as I was a little off the pace (mmmmm I ate too much food in the TA and it was not settling too well) Some good navigation by JJ and Sam saw us off the beach and running along a network of trails behind the dunes until we reached the TA where our bikes had been dropped. We found out we were 30mins down on Mountain Designs so we had to dig deep and go up a gear!!!!

We headed straight for the split trek – it was a road ride mostly and when we arrived MD’s were still in front. Sam and I went for CP X and Y and JJ and Guy went for W and Z. Sam and I managed to locate the CP’s without delay ( Thanks to Sam’s fine Nav ) then we saw Xterrain on their way out as we were heading back – the gossip was that MD’s were not back yet. We sprinted back – JJ and Guy were back too – and this meant we were ahead once again. So we hit the Bike Rogaine with a good lead. Now I am not exactly sure how it happened but Xterrain somehow caught us on this leg – think the route they selected was faster and we did have a few corrections to make (those ones when you just fly down a big hill and then the navigator says – we missed it we have to go back up – Mmmm not really all that fun!!!!) Nonetheless we were still in with a chance and we managed to get a break on Xterrain and get into the TA 4 minutes ahead for the 7k Paddle to the campsite. So another quick transition and we set off in the RED 7s downstream. JJ paddles without jocks because he doesn’t want them to get wet!!!!! I think he must enjoy getting his gear off??????

We have another stop at the campsite – but only 20 minutes – barely time to dry off and change. We jump in the cars loaded up with plates of food from Gloria’s kitchen and head out to Thora – a little town at the foot of a massive range which we were about to ride up. We had a 4 minute lead still so once we are allowed to set off – off we go – Sam and I hear a loud Holla from JJ – his chain has broken – that’s broken chain number 3. But this does not faze us we set out strong once it’s fixed just seconds ahead of Xterrain. They pass us before we hit the hill and we struggle to stick to their lights – they are out of sight. So as we start climbing JJ starts encouraging us all to dig deep. He tows me up the steep climbs and sets a cracking pace. He sights lights ahead and yells out – come on and we all left a gear – JJ continues to tow me and I crank up the hills in middle ring (Granny Gear had a spack attack and wasn’t working). Soon I am totally stuffed I jump off the bike and manually shift into Granny gear and leave it there – Mmmm not so fast on the descents – but I could climb. Soon we catch Xterrain and get in front they pass us again and then we get in front t again – after 36 hours we are still racing for the lead. Xterrain stop suddenly and we motor past and don’t look back – we al realise know we have a chance with less than 10k to go on the bike and our strongest disciplines as a team to go – a Kayak and Run!

We get into TA and into the kayaks – there is no time to eat or stuff around – we just paddle paddle paddle! We look behind – no one is in sight but we keep the pace up!!!! The 19k paddle into the sun is harsh – JJ sets a cracking cadence for me to follow and this is probably helping me to keep awake – oh and the occasional splash of water helps to keep me alert. We find the CP in a tidal pool – JJ has to look long and hard as a cow has attempted to eat it for brekkie!!! We reach the end of the paddle and waste no time despite Xterrain are not in sight. Our support crew have everything all ready to go – my Keen shoes, socks, hat and within second it seems we are off and running on the final leg of the race and we are in the lead!!!!!

We are Team AdventureGear.com.au and we have one CP to go as we run 11k along the beach toward the finish. We are quick to locate the prominent rock and Sam punches the CP – we can see behind and no one is in sight. We relax and chat all the way to the finish and enjoy the lead we have developed and ponder moment. It’s a long slow run after you have been out for almost 28hrs – but we find the energy to wade the final stream to the campsite – hug or support crew and supports as we make our way to the finish of Geaquest 2007. We raise our arms as we cross the finish line, we smile and embrace each other – we achieved the ultimate success – it was our moment!!!!!!!

Hardtales in the wild

The Cast: Greg (Pa) Bacon, Kerry (Ma) Bacon, Sarah (Stixy) Bacon, Paul (Stiffla) Barry-Bacon, Matt (Angry) Bacon

Day 1, 7am - Pa’s Ponderings: As I held onto the back strap of our kayak I heard a loud crack and looked over to see one kayak being pole driven into the sand, further out to sea the Geo half teams were under way with the first wave of the Geo full teams close behind. Our team was ready to go when we all looked out and saw the biggest, meanest looking wave appear which sent kayaks running for cover, luckily the wave did not take any teams out but in that one split second I decided that I was not up to the challenge.

Angry’s Account: It had been nearly three months since I last paddled. A wedding, extended Italian honeymoon and squeez- ing in some work along the way had all conspired to keep me dry and my withered torso was feeling very underdone. Paul is always fit, but had paddled only once since Geo 2006, Sah had paddled a collective total km’s amounting to less than our first paddle leg (since having a steel plate inserted in her arm last June), and Pa, well he’s as strong as an ox on flat water, but the waves make him nervous thanks to a couple of near misses in recent times. Although Stiffla and I would readily bluff our way through the stage, if either boat turned over or struck dif- ficulty, the rescue in confused seas didn’t strike me as worth it. I just wasn’t prepared to put Pa and Sah into the water. The downside wasn’t worth it. I know Stiffla was devastated by the call, but he also knows it was the right one.

Pa’s Ponderings: We waited and discussed our options as the rest of the teams made their way through the surf. Our race was over before we started, but in the end we made a team decision based on the conditions and our team experience. We spoke to Louise who asked us to wait around till all the teams had made it through the surf. Matt went over to team Shackle- ton who had split their kayak trying to get out through the surf and was out of action, he offered them one of our boats, which they quickly set up and were off at the tail end of the field. We were fairly dejected as we watched the kayaks in the distance and we did not see any more rogue waves.

Our penalty for missing leg 1 turned out to be 2.5 hours on top of starting at 10.00am after the majority of the teams had reached Coffs Harbour. We started with two other teams that had withdrawn from the sea kayak section. Thanks Craig and Lou for understanding and letting safety come first for us.

Angry’s Account: Talk about a shitty lead up! Apart from some good hard riding in Italy, the major focus for 2007 has not been AR for me. Pa got very sick in May and wrote to us saying Geo was not an option, a blood infection stripped several kilos from him and the easiest session left him fatigued for days. Sah has been struggling with that awful break that just isn’t healing the way it should. Add to that a death in our other support crew member’s family and it was all looking a bit hard. Just to make it really interesting, the day we left for Coffs, the heavens opened and put the Homestead on high flood alert. This meant Ma had the added stress of trying to re-locate her elderly mother and sister from the farm whilst solo supporting us.

Day 1, 10am - Pa’s Poderings: Kerry being on her own also meant that our transitions would take a little longer as we all helped to move gear around for each leg. We knew that we could count on help if it was needed at the transition areas.
We started the first beach run from Coff’s without the bike as we thought it would be easier if we all jogged the 13 odd k back to HQ. It wasn’t long before both Sarah and I were struggling with the pace as we tried to keep our position in the field. It was a fun run and we chatted to a few teams along the way while we picked up a few CP’s. The run took us a little over an hour, which is around 30 min more than I spend on my usual training runs and about one hour longer than Sah’s combined runs in the past three months. The tide was out on our creek crossing before HQ so we all stayed dry for the next leg.

Angry’s Account: Dumb arse! Taking a bike would have spared Sah from running at 97% maximum HR for over an hour and Pa’s legs wouldn’t be smashed up as they could have ride/tie swapped back to TA, saving a bucket load of effort and keeping them fresher for the other 47 hours.

Day 1, 12pm - Pa’s Ponderings: The start of Stage 2 was a short kayak of around 6k to the next TA. We kept pace with all the teams around us and enjoyed the paddle. We made a note of the marker buoy with a CP for one of our return legs to HQ. There was a bit of a queue at the exit ramp to the next TA then it was off on the first MTB leg. We took time to get some food down at the TA, unfortu- nately we were taking around 20 to 30 minutes at each TA which slowed our progress.

Angry’s Account: Stoked with my call to skip the Leg 1 paddle. Stixy tea bagged most of the way to Transition and my arms and shoulders are hammered. Stiff and Pa ate the whole way, chatting merrily while we busted our arses trying to keep up, starving and thirsty! There’s a perfectly good towline in the Kayak tub. Dumb Arse Grade 2 status just awarded.

Day 1, 1:30pm - Pa’s Ponderings: The ride out to the hike a bike hill was straightforward and we passed a few teams on the way. Our big mistake was not taking off our bike shoes and using our run- ners for the climb. The climb took us a little over one hour with Paul helping Sarah along the way. The track was very slippery after the recent rain and getting a good foothold in bike shoes was not easy. My walking sideways up the hill soon set off leg problems and Sarah was starting to wonder what she had got herself into. We did the climb in a Congo line with the other teams as we all seemed content to fol- low one an other. Once at the top of the hill at around 600m it was time for the rogaine. We arrived at the TA for the rogaine at 3.00pm ready to tackle the next 18k Trek leg.

Angry’s Account: Hmm, hike-a-bike is fun. Great to be riding the hardtail, nice and light. Have in- creased my Dumb Arse-ness to grade 3 though! Broke two retractable towlines dragging Stixy’s bike, now we’ll have to fix or install new ones before the next big ride. More lost time in TA!!!.

Day 1, 3pm - Pa’s Ponderings: We set off to CP 8, the first of the deep creek legs and luckily by now the path was well marked by the teams before us. We met a few teams that had come down the spur before joining the creek and before long we were once again in a long line on our way down the moun- tain. The first two CP’s were picked up before dark and we set off on the leg to the CP below the wa- terfall just on dark. This was a tough climb back up with thick vegetation all the way. The razor sharp vines ripped many competitors through this area. We popped out above the waterfall and quickly went back a short distance and found the track down to the CP. We met more teams coming up the creek to the CP. It is interesting to see the different ways teams navigate on the course. We had marked up our maps to use as much of the roads as possible especially at night but on our way to CP11 we took the long route on the road, which probably took 30min longer due to some of the hills. The teams we were with had all turned earlier. By now Sarah was really starting to hurt and our pace slowed, we had been trekking for nearly 3 hrs by now so we had a break and food before pushing on. We picked up the other CP’s and ran into a four-wheel drive that had skidded down one of the many steep hills. We found it hard to walk on some of the roads, as there was little traction in the clay.

We picked up the last creek CP before climbing back up the mountain. We decided to go directly up the mountain instead of taking the road around. This worked for us as we got back to the TA before some of the teams that we were with who had decided to go via the road. Once we were back on the ridge track it was another grind up and down before the TA, on our way back there was a steady stream of teams all telling us not far to the TA but it seemed to take forever to get there. We spent another 30 min at the TA taking on food. The trek had taken us 7hrs and we were not looking forward to pushing our bikes up some of the hills on our return.

Angry’s Account: The demons are strong in AR. For those of us who have faced them before, the fight is easier with muscle memory and experience for teammates. For the uninitiated however, it’s
a lonely and frightening road. I’ve seen hardened iron men buckle after 12 hours in the bush, and
it’s a frustrating thing. The ‘Dig Deep’ ethos they live by turns to custard and there’s no talking them through. My Stixy said nothing however and just placed one foot after the other. I knew she was done well before midnight, but she just kept trudging. Pa and Stiff sensed it, but they too said nothing, they simply ate and worked and kept going in the right direction. The witching hour was upon us indeed!

Day 1, 11pm - Pa’s Ponderings: The bike leg to complete this stage was along a rolling ridgeline, and then when we hit the tower hill it was a steep hike a bike down the hill with plenty of sliding on the way. We made our next mistake part way down the hill. We were in conference with a few other teams, two kept going down the dozer track the other turned back to look for another road. By the time that we worked out where we were, we were too far down the hill so we decided to cop another penalty
for missing the CP. By now we were up to three hours in penalties and all of us were a little worse for wear. We finished the bike leg around 1am then headed off to HQ with our support crew (Kerry).

Angry’s Account: The track off the fire tower looked suspicious, but was the only one. 200m into
the downward march and Stiff pulled me aside, ‘We need to head back that way and up. What do you think?’ A quick look at Stixy trudging and Pa hobbling and our answer presented itself, ‘down and out!’ Getting back to TA with as little effort as possible was the only option if we were to salvage anything the next day. With that, we proceeded down the hill on the way to TA.

Day 2, 2am - Pa’s Ponderings: By now Sarah could barely walk so we told HQ that we would be

stopping for a while before heading off on leg 3. By the time we had eaten, showered and managed to scatter gear all around the camp site it was 2.00am, To top things off my wife Kerry had been fielding off phone calls all day as flood waters threatened to engulf our house near Newcastle. She made a few phone calls and decided that there was nothing that we could do and we would wait till after the race before worrying about it. Off to bed!.

We didn’t set our alarm before heading off for a sleep as Matt, Paul and I all thought that Sarah had just about cooked herself and probably would not continue in the race. I was up around 7.00am and Paul and Matt soon joined me. Sarah was still sound asleep so we decided to do some housework around the campsite. It was a beautiful day; we’d had a good sleep so it was now time to pressure Sarah into continuing. The three of us helped to drag her out of bed then proceeded with all the rea- sons why we should keep going. To our surprise a few of the Geo full teams were just heading out on leg three so it was time to get back into it. It still took us until 9.30am before we were all ready and our support crew vehicle packed for the next TA.

Angry’s Account: Nothing like a good sleep to wipe away yesterdays pain I always say! The best chance of getting Stixy going again however was Pa’s undying enthusiasm. I opened the window in the ute and let Pa do the rest. Paul and I packed in the background while Pa forced some coffee into the girl and convinced her we were just heading out to loosen up the aching muscles. Magic!!

Day 2, 10am - Pa’s Ponderings: We started Leg 3 with a short creek crossing, luckily the tide was out and it was a pleasant stroll across the river. I heard later that some teams had fun making the crossing at night, and with a high tide. It was now off on the 12k trek south along the beach and forest roads to the bike TA. We walked the first half of the trek then jogged the flats and downhills. It was a quite stroll by ourselves. We picked up the CP’s without too much fuss and continued to the next TA, we were greeted at the TA with, “What are you doing here, we were told that you had withdrawn”, No we just had a long break! Our bikes and gear were waiting for us at the TA. While riding along the riv- ers edge the first of the teams heading for the finish line could be seen coming down the river. It was a little disheartening knowing that we were so far behind but it was our call to take such a big break from the course.

Angry’s Account: 2 doses of Nurofen Plus in 4 hours were not working and Pa’s gait had crumbled into a hobble. The pain he was in was apparent to us all, but he didn’t complain. At 55 years old, his unspoken message was clear to any aspiring Adventure Racer, ‘Harden Up or Go home!’ I don’t think he’s ever DNF’d, and there wasn’t much chance of him choosing that option now. Stixy was improving in confidence with each hour and Stiff commented more than once ‘Hey Matty, how good is it not to be suffering behind Hugh and Ant and Freya? This cruisy speed is awesome!’

Day 2, 2pm - Pa’s Ponderings: We picked up two CP,s on the way to the rogaine split. Our next mis- take was not carrying a second phone for the split which meant Matt and Paul would have to pick up all the CP’s while Sarah and I relaxed around the fire. There were still a few teams with us as we had caught up to the back of the field again. To our surprise Matt and Paul were back to the TA in around 50 min but they had incorrectly marked CP-X on their map so it was back out again. This CP was the furthest out and it took them another 45 min to return. Back onto the bikes to pick up 4 CP’s on the way home. We took a wrong turn on one of the newer unmarked roads and wasted around 30min get- ting back on track. On the return trip we passed two of the teams that had left before us then it was downhill to the kayak CP. The evening was very mild and we enjoyed our ride home. We were all feeling well although a little let down by making a few more errors on the way which took the shine off a good days racing.

Angry’s Account: ‘How come you guys can all spin up the hills? My bike has crap gearing’ Pa yelled as he mashed past us, oblivious to the fact that he was still in the middle ring.... clearly feeding on other teams misery as we worked our way back through the tail markers. With his race face on, he panicked whenever we slowed to check our placement or correct minor errors. Stiff and I dumped the walking wounded by the fire place at the split rogaine, clearing the course in around an hour it was sweet to open the lungs up and suck it in. Unfortunately, we’d marked the wrong creek junction and ran straight past CP-X. 5 minutes of deliberation and determined not to miss any more CP’s, we ran back to TA, re-marked and shot back into the bush to clean things up. The ride out was solid, with a small error costing around 15 minutes as we climbed an unnecessary hill for the fun of it. Pa doesn’t know it, but we were just testing to see if he had found granny gear.

Day 2, 9pm - Pa’s Ponderings: We arrived at the kayak TA around 9.00pm. One of the full teams that we were with had just pulled out at the kayak leg. We set off on an ebb tide for the short kayak trip home. Paul and I had a tow line on for Matt and Sarah to make things a little easier and it took us a little over an hour for the trip to HQ. We arrived at HQ at around 10.30pm where it was now time to make our next decision. The organizers gave us the option of continuing on a short course by doing 20 odd k of the bike leg.

Our problem was we only had the ute set up to transport the bikes and kayaks with one support crew and we did not want to drive another car out to the TA, leave it there and have to return the next day to pick up gear etc. We were still feeling OK but the edge had gone off for us and it was an easy deci- sion to withdraw from the race.

Angry’s Account: ‘Pa STOP! What are you doing?’ Stixy exclaimed as Pa ripped open half a dozen glowsticks and started handing them out before emptying every dry bag in sight. ‘The Glowsticks are already set up! Leave that gear here, you’ve got poly’s in the boat already’
‘I’m just looking after myself now!’ Pa shot back as he gorged into some cheezos and a Le Rice. Every- one was a bit tired after two solid days.

I’d managed to keep my feet dry until now, and with 6km to go until TA, things weren’t about to change. I sent Stixy into the water to hold the kayak while I climbed out on an overhanging branch to lower myself in. Mission accomplished and I thanked Christ for the towline! It allowed Stixy to ad- mire the stars on her first night paddle and gave the comic relief of Pa calling out ‘Oh Shit, we’ve run aground!’ whenever the rope picked up slack as I put paddle up to eat.
Arriving back at TA near midnight, the chance of getting Stixy out of her sleeping bag in time to go out for a shortened version of Stage 4 seemed remote at best. Craig laughed and scribbled DNF onto our control card. The irony is that we did finish. We completed as much of the course as we could in the time available. Stixy found a whole new level of suffering that she didn’t know she could endure. Pa discovered the joy of being able to see where he was going in a race thanks to Laser surgery 3 weeks earlier and the loan of my HID light on the bike at night. And Stiff and I, we just enjoyed two solid training days, albeit somewhat overloaded with excess food!!

Day 3, 12:30am - Pa’s Ponderings: Things had not gone to plan but we still thoroughly enjoyed the legs that we had completed and as a team we had a great time. Our only support crew was thoroughly exhausted from the pressure of the event and the dramas unfolding at home and we were not pre- pared to make things worse.

Thanks to all our friends in the AR community that supported us through the event, especially the sup- port they gave Kerry while we were out. Thanks Louise and Craig for supporting our decision not to proceed on the sea kayak leg and to all the helpers on the course.

On a foot note Kerry and I stayed at Sawtell till Tuesday, the surf was around 2ft high, seas calm and there were heaps of whales making their way North. What a difference a few days make! In addition our house on the Hunter River escaped flooding and stood out like an island for a few days. Once again only good memories from Geoquest 07.

Greg Bacon & Matt Bacon Team Hardtale.com HQ www.hardtale.com

Team ‘Sleepless in the Saddle’ tames Coffs Harbour’s bronco like terrain

Adventure racing is the sport of paddling, mountain bike riding, trekking/and or running where the aim of the game is to navigate to a series of checkpoints hidden within a landscape comprising of anything and everything. The Geoquest is an annual event where teams of 4 travel to checkpoints together with the aim of completing the course within 48hrs. Teams are permitted a support crew which provides essential assistance in transportation, nutrition and morale throughout the race.

This year’s theme for the Geoquest 48hr adventure race was that of big hills, big surf and big floods. Anxious anticipation was the general feeling of competitors in the lead up to the Geoquest as weather reports were being circulated of rain being the most substantial for the east coast and ranges in months. Some locations were expected to get close to100mm and would coincide with a couple days of gale-force winds, causing damage and beach erosion! Not the sort of thing you want to hear leading into a race like the Geoquest.

Our Canberra team, Sleepless in the Saddle, comprised of Keith Conley, Paul Ledbrook, Eddie Fardell and myself, Sara Hely. As we made the 9 hour road trip to Sawtell through the heaviest rainfall seen by us in years, it was difficult to look forward to a gruelling 48 hour race that lay ahead. On arrival in Sawtell however, the large dark mass of rain and wind subsided almost suddenly and the eve of the race dawned sunny, with clear blue skies. Although the air temperature was chilly, hopes were beginning to rise that we would be lucky with the weather.

The next day was spent going through numerous gear and competency checks with the menacing sound of enormous waves pounding the beach behind us. The discovery of a broken steering peddle on one of our hired kayaks created more chaos as somehow we had to either fix or find a replacement for the kayak. Fortunately for us, team AROC being the professionals that they are, had packed a spare of everything which included a spare kayak! I can’t say enough how thankful we were for that boat.

The official race briefing and map issue was approaching. The course is kept secret until the day before the race, which adds both mystery and stress to preparation. After sitting impatiently through a long winded briefing, and the final mad grab for maps, it was time to finally settle down to read the course.

The next few hours were spent mapping and preparing our gear. Dazza, our support champion, was getting acquainted with our course and what was expected over the next 48hrs. We were pretty sure we were the only team that only had 1 person (compared to up to 9!) supporting us for the race, which we knew was a big ask when it came to lifting a double sea kayak onto roof racks. Given the sophistication of the campsite that Dazza had set up for us upon our arrival, we weren’t too worried. By the end of the race, Dazza had also made friends with just about anyone who wasn’t racing, and thanks to him and his dedicated followers he always had us covered.

The morning of the race was dark and gloomy, and the fear of rain came back to haunt us. Our start point had us in full view of the terrifying 3m surf and the look of apprehension was clear on most competitors’ faces. The race organisers had been aware of the chances of a big swell and we were all enormously relieved to see that our start point was from a nicely sheltered section of the beach. By the time the siren sounded however, there was rain, a strong wind and a bunch of very cold people.

LEG 1
• 17 km kayak – 1:45 – 2:30 hrs
• 11 km trek/ ride&tie – 1:10 – 2:10 hrs

The entry proved difficult for some teams but we were lucky to go through the surf reasonably smoothly. The next 17km were strangely uneventful despite the large rolling waves that saw many of those brave enough to paddle surf skis, dislodged from them. As we paddled into Coffs Harbour the sun came out, the wind was behind us, and a pod of dolphins escorted us in to our first transition. We moved easily through to our first coastal run leg, careful to find a pace that we could maintain through the long hours that awaited us.

LEG 2
• 6km Kayak – 0:40 – 1:00 hrs
• 15km Mountain Bike – 0:50 – 1:15 hrs • 18 km Trek – 3:00 – 6:00 hrs
• 11 km Mountain Bike – 0:35 – 1:00 hrs • Car Move

Leg 2 began with a simple paddle on flat water, a welcome sight after the high seas of the open water. The next mountain bike leg was far from flat however, with our first ‘hike a bike’ (termed this in adventure racing because, generally there is no way in the world it is possible to ride bikes up these hills and often bikes have to be pushed, dragged or thrown in some instances). The rain from the previous day had turned the narrow, extremely steep firetail into a buttery, slippery slide of people and bikes. For what seemed like hours we pushed and dragged our bikes up the enormous ridge line, a climb that would set the scene for the rest of the race.

Despite the tricky navigation at the top of the ridge line, we arrived for what was to be the most challenging of the foot navigation legs. The terrain for this leg looked like something from the jungles of Kokoda; thick rainforest with undergrowth and vines that made the simple act of walking hard work. Despite a couple of checkpoints being incorrectly marked, Keith’s ‘spot on’ navigation got us through without a hitch and we would gain several places, from 24th to17th by the end of it. Darkness fell before we arrived back at transition for our ride down the ridge to meet Dazza, our support champion for the first time. He stacked us all with hot sandwiches and drinks as we were driven back to Head Quarters for a quick change before leg 3.

LEG 3
• 14 km Trek – 2:00 – 3:00 hrs
• ~35 km Mountain Bike Adventuregaine – 2:40 – 5:00 hrs • 5 km each Split Trek – 1:00 – 3:00 hrs
• ~15 km Mountain Bike – 1:00 – 2:00 hrs
• 7 km Kayak – 0:45 – 1:15 hrs

Leg 3 began a little shakily. Our team newbie Ed, will never live down his battle with consuming a plate full of food quickly. Although it provided the rest of the team with hours of entertainment we took the next running leg steadily to ensure that Ed had time to take on enough food to get through this section.

Tiredness was setting in as we approached the dreaded witching hours of adventure racing. The hours between 2am and 4am are mentally and physically draining and signs of fatigue were showing in Captain Keith. He handed over navigation responsibility to me in order to have a well earned rest. The tricky mis-match of the map with roads on the mountain bike had us losing a lot of time at the start of the adventuregaine, however we recovered well and continued through to the team split. Keith and I were going for the supposed tricky navigation section and Paul and Ed going for checkpoints on the longer leg. Our teams easily collected the checkpoints and returned to the transition area only 10mins apart. Making up several more places, we were back on the mountain bikes before a short kayak back to race Head Quarters. There once again was Dazza with pasta, coffee and moral support. He would now have to drive us out to our final transition about 30mins drive away.

LEG 4

• Car Move
• 50 km Mountain Bike – 5:00 – 9:00 hrs • 19 km Kayak – 2:00 – 3:30 hrs
• 13 km Trek – 2:00 – 3:00 hrs
• FINISH!

For the most part, our team was still in good spirits. This was despite the next leg containing a daunting 50km mountain bike, featuring the biggest climb of the race. There is no doubt that this leg of the race was tough. It was relentless in the 7km of climbing to the top of the ridge, and despite promises of a long down hill, for each relief of elevation, we were greeted with another up hill to compensate. It was slow going and the kilometres dragged on. Just when we didn’t think we could bare another second on this arduous ridgeline, we came flying into transition and couldn’t have been happier to see Dazza this time with hot soup, bread and lots of encouragement.

The battle for us was nearing the end, but it’s not over til it’s over! The 19km paddle at 9:30pm at night was accompanied by thick fog making visibility low and creating a very eerie atmosphere. We regained one of the lost places from the mountain bike on the paddle leg, and were hopeful to gain yet another on the final 14km to the finish. Despite out best attempts, our speedy transition was counteracted by several errors at the start of the final trek resulting in us missing our opportunity to move into 12th overall.

The final beach run gave us an opportunity to reflect on the race and by switching off our lights, we were also given a spectacular view of the Milky Way and numerous falling stars. There were also patches of phosphorescence in the sand which entertained our fatigues minds for quite some time. In the last 5 k’s of the run, a team sneaking by us in stealth mode (no head lights) awoke us from daze as we realised that we may need to push a bit harder to maintain our position. We picked up the pace in the last couple of km’s with our lights out. We rounded the corner to our final river crossing before the finish and were caught like rabbits in the high powered spotlight which we came to fondly recognise as Dazza. The finish chute saw our team jog in comfortably within our goal of a midnight arrival. We crossed the line 14th overall and 10th in the premier mixed. Considering the calibre of the field in 2007 this was an impressive result.

The outcome of the event revealed that 45% of the field did not finish, many had trouble with problematic checkpoints, and injuries had plagued a number of teams. Overall, the weather held dry despite the rest of the central coast being metres under water! The race was won by the all star team which contained amongst others, Guy Andrews, and John Jacoby.

To wrap up, I would like to express a big thanks to my team Sleepless in the Saddle for a great Geo experience. I personally benefited from navigating under the watchful eye of Captain Keith and having this experience is bound to serve me well in the future. Paul, thanks for the light hearted nature and continued strength through out the race. Eddie, you were a source of enthusiasm and positiveness- and a welcome part of the team. I’d also like to acknowledge our sponsors- Cube Home Loans, Travel World Orange, The Beast Magazine, and 2XU. A huge thanks must also go to our support champion, Darren Conley. We could not have done that race without you, and you are the only person really capable of doing a job like that single handedly. For any other teams that saw the way our Dazza was working out there, don’t get any ideas, we already have him booked for next year!