Racing OnaMission with Kirsten Letts

This is all really new to me, I do confess that I am a novice at adventure racing and racing of any kind to be truthful. With my first race being OnaMission 2008: what a good way to start things off.

So second time round and with a little more preparation, advice and past learning experience I managed to find myself a new (virgin) team player better known as Alex, and get signed up for a crazy day of adventure racing.

Now some of you went as far as doing the long course, I don’t know how but I take my hat off to you; for standing in my shoes it looked “long” hot and something that may actually require training and endurance and maybe inner strength to break through pain barriers I’m not ready to go to myself yet. So I opted for the short course again, quite happy to “play it safe” ha ha. We arrived in Mission and got ready for registration by conserving our energy and watching those keen on doing gear checks, practice paddles and other things you do before a race. I started to question my relaxed manner but this was brief, I had tactics (once again laughing at my sense of humour). The registration was brief and the briefing well explained by this time it was getting late and all we needed now was a cuppa tea topped off with a little in-house rivalry, nothing like healthy competition between friends (our rivals being uncle Muzza and Graeme).

Its race day. I think its important to mention things that might be occurring for novices and even the experienced racer. Its the many unspoken records that can be achieved (on a personal level) on race day, the likes of time management and the simple things like gear checks (did anyone forget anything?), boats set up and ready to go, bikes in rack, energy food shoes and water all in correct places-CHECK!. Even the simpler things like needing to do the pre-race poo. The last thing you want is an inconvenience during the race-now don’t get me wrong if you have to go you have to go but preferably before or after the race has finished!!! And in amongst all this I managed to dress, pack up camp and have breakfast before 6am. On any other day this may not have been so easy. These are some of the things needed to make a multi sport adventure race work in your favour.

Lets cut to the chase, Alex and I were off and paddling perfect conditions, flat water beautiful day no crocs and the pace was on. My shoulder was ON fire too but thank god for team mates who pull you through. Making sure our kayak was turned round ready for take off we shoed up and raced off. Now last year I walked this part so already improving my race performance I jogged some of this “knarly” running track and killing myself bolting down the track last year I took the easier option and sprinted back to the kayaks. Tactics! A little disappointed with the slight head wind on the return paddle but my shoulder didn’t kick up such a fuss so all was good. Not to mention seeing our rivals not too far in front giving a little extra momentum and some friendly chit chat along the way made for a fun and rewarding race.

I’m really trying not to drag this out but I don’t want to give you the impression that we had a cracking pace. I can remember thinking the tortoise and the hare. Slowly wins the race, its got to be all about tactics. Anyway onto the bike leg but first a lovely choc brownie, glug of water and a taste test of a torque energy bar. I was powered up and ready for the walk to the ditch. Safely mounted on my bike we were off or at least Alex was-not even breaking a sweat. As for me I did everything to keep up or at least catch up. Despite the few grizzles I heard about a beach ride I really loved it, got in a good zone and with no one behind us. Now I wasn’t sure if this was a good thing or not I was on such a high that my brain made me think we were doing really well-stroke that ego! And that ego just smiled a little more when we got to the Licuala track to see our Muzza and Graeme in a little spot of bother. My team mate mumbled something and encouraged me to power up we were in front. From last year I enjoyed the way this years track flowed and wasn’t so cranky to get off my bike which made the riding flow so much better. Scooting through the cool forest past a rotting pig carcuss and back down towards the beach for the last leg of the race.

The beach run. Once again on any other day a beach run is really nice but today it just seemed to hurt a little more than usual. Shoes do make a difference so I have already learned from previous experience. What more can I say we were near the finish line and incredibly some of the long course competitors were getting close to finishing as well.

Their fitness level and speed just blew me away giving me an inch more momentum and I was back into the run/walk mode while my team mate pranced around with the energy to do cartwheels or crazy stunts of some kind with Andre’ as he ran past in the opposite direction-what did he eat for breakfast that I didn’t. We made it through the final posts with a photographic finish and a great smile on our face for a day well spent!!!