Total Experience Adventure Race
Green Hill Warriors, Take On TEAR
08.06.2010
First up to our relief was the Kayak. We really wanted to get this out of the way as it is our weakest discipline so far. Decision was made to for Karen and I to do the hard leg first while Finbar and Enda did the shorter sit on-top section. We split into pairs, two in sea kayaks and two in the sit on-tops heading in opposite direction. We took off at great speed and it was great to be back in the race. Heading shoreside to keep out of the wind we ploughed ahead making good ground. The ground was so good we invited some of it up under the kayak in the form of a rock. Karen had spotted a rock, but given how far out we were from the shore I didn’t expect the rock before it and before we knew it we were firmly stuck on top. Quite frustrating as the other boats go buy. We ploughed and pushed our paddles into the water. Karen tried to feel the rock with the water with her hand , nervous of not falling in we anxiously paddled backwards, getting nowhere and eventually rotating the boat around so that we could pushing the boat round to a second rock where we could push the boat off the rock. This was bloody hard work and we left the rock panting and from 5th into last place …. frustrating as it was we got on hit CP2 Karen Dibbed and we headed back to the rendezvous where we were to change boats. Without realising it we paddled as hard as possible, we weren’t going to be last out, and in hindsight it probably wasn’t the best move to be bursting a lung while we had a whole days racing left. All we could think of was the lads just standing there waiting and the more you taught you were holding up the team the harder we were paddling.
Eventually we hit the shore where a bunch of fresh beach-boys removed us from the Sea Kayak, the guys questioned was there something wrong with the Kayak – there wasn’t time to explain, just a firm the Kayak is ok, so that they could move off confidently. As i exited the boat, i had a dead leg but didn’t pay too much attention as we went in search off on our holiday boat. We estimated that we would be back before the lads, so we took our time and joked about the disaster that had just occurred. We got to the Beach, Karen checked the control and headed back. We got in just before Eoin and Donacha’s sea kayak so we knew it would be a while before Karen and Enda got back.
We got our gear and helmets on and waited for Finbar and Enda who made it back in second last place. Checked the maps again to make sure we knew where we were headed off to next. Karen and I grabbed the boat trying to get the guys to off load their bouncy aids etc .. and it wasn’t long before we were on the bikes and up the lane. We were in good spirits, Enda almost ending Karens for her io the process as she toppled off her bike…. it was going to be a long race and so we decided to leave the disaster of the kayak behind and now start to climb through the field from second last. As we headed toward lacken I already had a cramp in my leg – but never fear, the loop the loop stage was near. We hit Richardson’s shop
we had actually already gained on teams who were wolfing down loop the loops outside the shop. The task was for the 4 team members to eat them as fast as possible, hand them back and they would punch the control – after brain freezes and tested gag reflexes we headed off up the road in pursuit of the other teams. The climb was hard but Karen was adjusting to her new bike well . . As we hit the steeper parts it was time to test the bungees, I grabbed Finbar’s while Enda casually pushed Karen up the hill. We reached the summit and headed down the path past the JCB’s in search of CP 3. We had been down here the following week and so we new which route to take. Almost making a blunder on the way back we moved quickly to CP 4. We whizzed down the hill and headed for 6. We were moving well and then headed for CP 5 as we headed for CP 5 Finbar got a soft tyre. We decided to head on and pick him up on the way back . .then as we got to CP5 4 teams past us going the opposite direction. These teams had went from CP4 to CP 5 across the forest. It was clearly quicker – and so we were again behind. Enda sprinted toward the bend in the river picked up the control and we headed back toward Finbar. We had assumed wrongly the forest would have been uncrossable . . heads were tucked in and off we went again in pursuit of the lost places. Again it was up hill , lots of hills, as i reached for Finbars bungy i managed to slip the gears and wrap the chain. We had to take the back wheel off drama drama drama – every time a drama we seemed to just push harder !!!
SleepMonsters
