Overmountain Extreme AR
Team ASM SE Takes the Mountain at Overmountain Extreme AR
Lisa M. Randall / 22.09.2005
Coming off of a two-win streak was Team Litespeed, but they would have to answer to ASM SE and Hooked, both of which had just been reunited with their previously injured female teammates who were hungry for victory. Racing for ASM SE was female staple Lisa Randall, joined by Ardie Olson and Chip Whitworth.
The opening sprint on foot gave ASM SE a chance to stretch their legs before a demanding first leg on the bikes. A plotting error sent the team out of the TA in the opposite direction as the competition for what proved to be one of the best accidental route choices in the race.
While the route was a bit longer, it had considerably less elevation gain and some flat sections through a valley, which allowed the team to cover ground quickly. Arriving near CP2 and backtracking on foot up the one mile trail to CP1 turned out to be a strategic move that put the team 45 minutes ahead at the first transition.
The next section of the course was a pre-defined hike up and over Grandfather Mountain. The hike was rough and technical with the downhills requiring almost as much work as the uphills. After summiting the mountain and making the bouldery descent, the team jogged into the TA with a comfortable lead and transitioned to bikes.
The start of the second bike leg was a welcome relief, downhill and on pavement. This wouldn’t last long as the team turned off the highway and headed into the hills on gravel roads. A quick hike-a-bike through an abandoned doubletrack trail put ASM SE out on the Mountains To Sea Trail, and a nice long downhill section followed.
At the bottom of the descent, teams dropped their bikes and left on a long trekking section that continued along the Mountains To Sea Trail towards Chestnut Mountain. A misplaced CP along the route caused ASM SE to lose time to the chasing Litespeed, who inadvertently stumbled across the misplaced CP as they approached from a different location. Hearing voices off in the distance, ASM SE took off down the trail and were eventually caught by Litespeed near the end of the trek.
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