MOMAR Ucluelet, BC
What a spectacular day!
Jacqueline Windh / 13.05.2006
Saturday 13 May, 7:00 pmWhat a spectacular day!
I live just up the road from Ucluelet, and we have not had a day like this all year. The sky was cloudless, with only a pleasant gentle breeze (not our usual honking afternoon westerly). Days like this are what make this place a real paradise...
We started at 9:00 am, about half-way down Ucluelet inlet, 133 racers lined up and the water was like glass. The route was a 10 km paddle – heading out to the bottom of the inlet with a hint of ocean swell coming in, then turning around and paddling back up to the top of the inlet to hop onto our bikes. I had actually been hoping for really rough ocean conditions, since that is the one thing that I am actually good at, but there is just no way that I can complain about a day like this! Please take a look at the photo galleries.
The 25 km bike section was split up into two parts, each one partly on pavement, but for the most part on gravel logging roads. We headed towards Mt. Ozzard (yes, that is the mountain that I had hoped – and believed – wouldn’t be in the race!) and rode a short way up, then continued on foot for the 4 km trek, up a steep muddy trail. The weather has been pretty dry all week – that trail would have been super-hard going if it had been wet. For the first part we were in forest, then we broke out into (logged-out) clearings with spectacular views down to Ucluelet and across the entrance to Barkley Sound. We jogged back down to our bikes along a logging road, skirting carefully around a mama bear trying to teach her cub how to forage in the wild but getting foiled by packs of strangely dressed runners zooming past. Then we looped around on our bikes through some more logging roads, and on into Ucluelet town.
Last stage! The first two thirds or so of the running route were the obvious – heading southeastward along Ucluelet’s beautiful Wild Pacific Trail. This trail hugs the coast, and for the most part you jog along (or for me, at times walked) with ancient rainforest on your left and rugged rocky outcroppings dashed by surf to the right. But then Race Director Bryan Tasaka threw a loop in. A swim! I was not impressed – I know very well how cold the water is here. I had taken the pre-race advice of waterproofing everything – even my camera – donned the lifejacket they provided us with, and headed in. I had come much too far to stop at this point. The swim was only about 50 m, but it was long enough to seriously chill me down. I am glad that it was a relatively warm day, and that the westerly wasn’t too strong, because for the final 5 or so kilometres after the swim we were running right into the breeze.
The race finished up at the Tauca Lea Resort, where I am writing to you from. Dave Norona, newly retired from racing, was there as the MC, announcing teams as we made our way in.
All I can say is that the race was spectacular – the course design was great (in spite of that swim), giving all racers a really good idea of what this place has to offer. And the organization was excellent. Race workers and volunteers were cheery and helpful. And... I did it! My aim was to finish, feeling good. I took a little longer than I had hoped – I thought I might be about 6 and a half hours, and I actually came in just seconds under 7 hours. But I feel great – injury free, good with my food/hydration/energy levels, and now I am suckin’ on a cold beer.
Thanks to Bryan Tasaka and all of the other organizers and volunteers – GREAT RACE!
There are two more MOMARs this year (check out www.mindovermountain.com):
June 24, Duncan, Vancouver Island
September 30, Cumberland, Vancouver Island.
I won’t be in Duncan, because I will be in southernmost Chile reporting for Sleepmonsters on Patagonia Expedition Race’s first ever winter race, but I may be at Cumberland. My next reports to you will be in just a few weeks, covering the Raid in Idaho this June 9-11. Talk to you then!
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