This past Saturday saw my absolute favorite event of the year – the Coosa River Challenge. It’s 4-5 hours of grueling competition, with 5 and a half miles of off-road running, 7 miles of mountain biking and 7 and a half miles of kayaking. Throw in a “stroll” through a boulder field, a rapel down an 80 foot slab, a mud pit, a class 3 rapid, AND a set of “mental challenges” at the very end and you’ve got one of the best races around!
Ok, I MIGHT be a little sick! But it’s fun, really, it IS! This year was my fourth year of participation, and as my overall fitness level has improved, so has my performance. This year, with starting my business as a trainer and the demise of my travel schedule, I’ve had time to be in better shape than ever before. Kayaking is no problem – weekly trips to the river insure that I’ll be in shape for this part pretty much no matter what. Running, well, let’s just say that “fast” may always be an overstatement, but I’ve been running so much that the distance is pretty much a given. Mountain biking? Well, that’s another story.
You see, mountain biking on Swayback Trail takes a lot of courage for me. It’s up and down, roots and rocks, mud and sand and I fall – frequently. I ride by myself most of the time. So, if I challenge myself and mess up, I’m left crying to whatever critters are around. And hoping I don’t have to go to Plan B (cell phone, GPS locator, EMS, etc – you get the picture!). BUT, I did weekly rides and a lot of run/bike, bike/run workouts. I was UP for this year’s race.
I helped out with registration again this year on Friday – it’s one thing I can do along with participating. It’s fun to meet the other racers and get a chance to see them BEFORE the race takes it’s toll. Registration takes a good part of the afternoon and early evening. I did manage to get my boat and bike loaded before the 8 o’clock rules meeting. It’s worth it to hear what has changed, even though I’ve had a good long look at the bike and run courses which have been posted on the trail since early September. I peeled out of the meeting early, got to sleep as soon as I could, and only woke up once all night – of course, I stayed awake about an hour and a half!
Saturday morning was almost a disaster – my phone, which doubles as my alarm clock, was on vibrate. I didn’t hear it the first time, rattling on the table next to the bed. Fortunately, I set the double alarm and was up only 10 minutes late. Off to the local omelet shop type place. I eat a huge breakfast on the morning of this race. I use a huge number of calories for the race! The mandatory morning meeting was a pain – repeat of the previous night and I’m just jonesin’ to get going! But, all races have their trials!
For this race, the all-women teams and women individuals start last. We get to wait even more! It’s a good thing, because the all-men groups tend to run over anything in their way. But standing and waiting is nerve wracking! To top it off, my significant other and videographer is MISSING! He was supposed to meet me at the start and I have no idea where he is! Grrrrr!
Finally, it’s time to start. I’ve met several of the women already and we are laughing and joking on the start line. I’ve been racing against one of them since I started and I always am hugely competitive against her. As we line up, she’s slightly ahead of me (it’s a small group, though). We start and I watch one woman sprint away… much faster than my top speed! It’s clear she’ll be the winner. From now, I can see her fitness level!
For the first half mile, I run with the pack, which is driving me faster than my normal pace. That’s ok, because I know I’ll settle down shortly and will have that part down that much faster. As we pass the half-mile mark, I’m settled into my pace. I pass one or two women. My videographer is hanging at the one mile mark – totally out of place, but it works (until he runs out of memory card 
). My goal for the run is 40 minutes. It’s 38 mins and some odd coming out of the woods to transition to the bike.
After a quick transition into my bike shoes, I’m riding. For a change, I know my brakes are connected (duh – a normal stupid mistake for me!) and my tires are correctly inflated and my seat on straight. Riding is comfortable and I keep passing co-ed teams and even a few men’s teams (starting 15 mins earlier!). I start catching some of the teams and women that had run faster than me. I STILL haven’t seen my long-time competitor. I’m slightly puzzled by this as I passed her last year on the run.
Biking is both good and bad. It’s the toughest leg of the race for me. Part of the problem is that when someone stops suddenly or falls right in front of you, it’s hard to stay on your bike. I ride with bike shoes that clip into the peddles – it can be very tough to fall unexpectedly. A couple times people stop short and I’m pushing up hills when I didn’t expect to. UGH! I fall into a rhythm of passing and being passed by “the Pink Team” – a pair of women in pink bike shirts. They are incredibly supportive of each other and of me. They never push to pass, but I know the trail and where I’ll be slowing… I am able to pull off and let them pass, especially for the downhills, where Amy appears fearless!
Finally, the biking is done. I have learned to drink and eat something and take a bit of break on the 1.2 mile run/walk to the river. It’s ok if people pass me here, because even though it’s easier, I know I need re-fueling and the river isn’t far away. Once we reach the river bank, we go through the boulder field. Running it would be interesting, but REALLY, it’s a walk and a careful one at that! I pass only one or two people during this part. We head the other way down the river bank to the slabs for the rapel.
On the “batman climb” up to the top of the slabs, I feel my legs cramping. UGH! I thought MAYBE I’d finally conquered them this year. It’s fierce in my right leg, to the side of my knee and up into the thigh. At the top, there’s a line for the rapel, so I sit and try and work them out. Amy comes up directly behind me and asks if I’m ok. She massages them out and although I’m nearly crying, it gets better.
Rapelling is easy! I walk down the slab quickly – Amy is amazed that I get down it so quickly. At the bottom, there’s a 300 yd or so swim across to pick up my boat. For the teams, the member that DIDN’T rapel has fetched the boat and picks up the rapelling member in the water. For me, I get to rapel AND swim. My videographer is now in his kayak – paddling alongside me and keeping me pointed at the spot I needed to go. This allows me to swim on my back – much easier with the cramping still happening a bit.
Once on-shore, I quickly launch my kayak. This is where I shine. Not only do I kayak almost weekly, I have a FAST boat that I bring – a 17 foot sea kayak that FLIES! I hear comments as I take off. It would be faster, though, if I weren’t cramping. I pull my left leg from the cockpit and alternate paddling and working out the cramps. By the time I hit the first rapids, I’m much better. I have the lines down right, because I ran the river at the current level just a week before.
I reach what’s known as “Dead Beaver Island” – we must pull in, climb a bank, run down the island, through a mud pit, and back through a creek to where we left the boats. As I pull out, the cramping was kind of severe and I had to stop and work them out. I was able to alternate walking and running over the island. The mud pit this year required going through a couple of barrels mostly submerged in ugly, muddy water. Close eyes, hold nose, face up, pull through! DONE!
Another mile and a half of some light rapids and flat water paddling. I’m passing teams comfortably now. I have decided NOT to use a spray skirt to keep out the water from the “big rapid” – Moccasin Gap. It’s class III and I’ve paddled it many times. I knew I’d get water in the boat, but knew I wouldn’t swamp, I’d just have to pump on the other side. I passed out one team right at the top, passed 2 others in various states of being flipped on the other side of the Gap and heard the first team I passed flip behind me.
I pumped out enough and headed towards the last series of rapids. At the middle rapid of this set, I was committed to my line when the “Sadistic Race Director” headed STRAIGHT into the rapid with his POWER BOAT – full throttle. EEEK! As I hit the ledge, I had the boat wake hitting me one way and the rapid wave hitting me another. I took in another bunch of water, but stayed upright. Years of paddling this boat make it easier to deal with problems! I did have to pump again before the last of the rapids.
At this point, we have to pull out, and run around a park and ANSWER QUESTIONS which require thinking – ok, marginal thinking, but after 3 hours 45 minutes, a flash card with the problem 4/20 = ? is almost as hard as explaining the square root of negative 1!!!! I’m still able to run part of this section – the cramps are gone. I also take the time to down most of a bottle of Gatorade.
Back out on the river, we’re coming down to the end. Another couple miles of flat water paddling. Unfortunately, I notice that I seem to have opened up a blister on the inside of my thumb. I adjust my paddling stroke to take the thumb out of the equation. Next stop – downtown Wetumpka across from Gold Star Park. There’s an old, unfinished lock there and we must swim out to it from shore, climb up the concrete structure and jump off. For some reason, this intimidates me MORE than in previous years. But film shows it was all in my head and I didn’t hesitate to outward signs.
I swim back and hop in my boat for the last push across the river. As I’m swimming, I use my paddle – a skill honed by years of missing my roll while playing in whitewater. It’s much quicker than regular paddling and I pass out The Pink Team one last time! I hit the boat ramp, pull my boat up JUST enough and run for the finish. Four hours thirty one minutes and thirty six seconds after the start, I’m done!
Results – 3rd individual woman overall, 2nd in the Master’s Division!!!!!! And almost 50 minutes faster than last year.